Dusk
by 002fox
Summary: Time: 2007. The current Marak is running out of time to find a bride when he hears of two young girls are set to come in summer to visit the Aunts. His last hope or last battle? Because he's not the only one eying the girls for the survival of the kingdom
1. Prologue

Dusk 

Rated: PG / PG-13

Genre: Mystery/Suspense/ romance

First Fanfic in this genre so plz be nice!

Time Period: 2007

Goblin King (unmarried) – Marak Foxears.

_**Prologue:**_

_Running... Running.…Tripping and scrambling... Her heart hammers hard against her chest threatening to jump out. A branch catches her off guard as she turns from glancing to the side. She whimper lightly as her fingers trace the delicate scratch trailing down her cheek. _

_Brown hair is matted down and stray strands cling to her cheek along where the tears lay drying. Looking down she realizes how dirty her clothes are and torn but she can't stop... She can't stop running. _

"_Give up?" A soft melodic voice muses from all around her half hopeful and half concerned, "You can't keep this up." Footsteps heavy unlike her own and tireless sound from all around her tormenting her. She distantly hears hoofs thundering powerfully. _

"_Watch me!" The girl hisses increasing her speed though her lungs threaten to burst. Her hand impatiently tucks away strand that fall clouding her vision. __**'Run...Don't stop your almost there.'**__ A voice inwardly pleads with her. She looks up her brown eyes connecting with the stars for a sole merciful moment '__**Tell me. Where is it?'**_

_The stars are silent and she suddenly falls to her feet fatigue catching up with her. _

"_No...NO.!" she cries out her scarred and scratch hands blurring as the tears swallow her up she glances one last time up to the moon and stars__**. 'NO!'**_

_She closes her eyes feeling more distant by the second the footsteps that had heatedly followed her slow and the thundering hoofs slow also. _

"_ARISA!" she hears a familiar deep feminine voice yell angrily. She opens her eyes and sees a dark figure kneeling beside her but she tenses as the smell of smoke hits her dizzying her further the figure tenses and looks up. And then bright flames blind her... And she falls further..._

Love it? Hate it? Please review! Suggestions plz! First Fic so plz don't flame...

Till next chappy!

002fox


	2. Chapter 1 English Fancy

Thankies to those of you who review!

**Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

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Don't forget to leave a review:D**

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Chapter 1: An English fancy.… 

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"Ugh... How much did you pack, Arisa? We're only staying there the summer not our whole lives!" A low feminine voice grumpily complained looking up from dumping another huge brown box into the silver traveling van's back seat.

"I know it's a lot but we're going to England! I mean I can't believe we're going to _The _England!" An excited voice quipped from behind her in light feminine voice that spoke each word like a piece of music.

Hannah rolled her piercing blue eyes, "We're going to England to _sit _my Aunts' house not site see." She put her hands on her hips and turned to face her small perky friend. Her sharp gaze fell on a 5'2 tall girl petite in stature but not attitude. Long brown hair ended at her friend's elbow with two sole blond streaks in the front bangs. Pretty brown soulful eyes stared at her shimmering with excitement and anxiety.

Arisa pouted at her friend's reluctance of the trip. She knew part of the reason of her friend's bad attitude toward the trip was that England was known to be quite rainy in some parts and Hannah hated rain.

She surveyed her friend for a moment tilting her head up slightly to see her friend in a privately joking matter. Her best friend stood at 5'6 with dark shoulder length hair accentuating her pale face and artic blue eyes. While Hannah had quite the athletic build Arisa's own bordered delicate curves. Sporting a blue baseball cap and rugged jeans with a white t-shirt she looked like a mechanic instead of a 17 year old teenager. Arisa glanced at her own attire a dark green shirt with a logo and tan jeans. Yep they definitely looked like they were both part of a moving crew.

"So what is the first thing you're going to do in England, Hannah?" Arisa asked curiously looking at the nearly overstuffed van that would take them to the airport nearly 2 hours away. Arisa bit her lip slightly feeling slightly Claustrophobic by the crowdedness of the van.

"Get rid of Jet lag." Hannah mumbled as she started towards the driver's seat of the van. She took the key out of her pocket and started up the van which wheezed a bit before starting comforting them both.

"I mean after that." Arisa chided laughing slightly as she scrambled into the passenger side.

"Don't know and not going to care till we get there..." Hannah said flatly as she leaned out the window to make sure she didn't run into a mailbox or a poor unsuspecting trash can.

Arisa rolled her eyes and rolled down her window watching the neighborhood disappear along with the bordering woods. "Goodbye see ya in the fall!" she called out to the trees, joggers, and various pets they passed.

Hannah hit a button on the side of the car forcing Arisa's window up.

"Hey!" Arisa protested bringing her arms back inside the vehicle.

"Please remain seated and keep your hands inside the vehicle till the car comes to a complete stop." Hannah sarcastically quoted reminding Arisa of that one incident on the roller coaster '_Wild Cat'_. Hannah watched out of the corner of her eye as Arisa settled down into the passenger seat sulking and staring out the window. Moments of silence and the van's humming engine slowly drove both on edge.

"Hey Arisa," Hannah asked after a moment taking her eyes of the road for a brief moment, "Turn on the radio would ya?"

Arisa reached messing with the radio till it was on a country station with a song by Carrie Underwood.

Arisa swayed to the rhythm closing her eyes momentarily about to start singing with it when it was abruptly switched off.

"Anything but that. I hate country!" Hannah seethed and began fumbling with the radio.

"Hannah!"

"Not now." Hannah snapped as she watched carefully for the number station.

"Hannah you don't –"

"Kinda busy here-" She bit out as she missed the channel by 5.

"HANNAH WE"RE GONNA HIT THAT BUS!"

"WHAT!" Hannah said suddenly snapping up and swerving just in time. Arisa sunk down in her seat breathing erratic.

"I am never letting you drive in England..." Arisa mumbled shaking her head and fanning herself with her hand.

"I don't know we did have 5 inches still to spare..." Hannah joked grinning but this time still eyeing the road she moved just in time to avoid a slap to her side by Arisa.  
"Kidding Risa ... Kidding."

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Please review and leave comments! I promise it'll get better as it continues!

002fox


	3. Chapter 2 Dwindling hope

Dusk Chapter 2.…- _**Dwindling hope **_

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Hey Everybody!!!!

Thankies to MysticStoryteller, Paco, xTamikax, and anyone else who reviewed! Here's the next chappy dedicated to you guys especially!

002fox

A/N: I'm afraid it's been quite awhile since I've read the hollow trilogy books... I've only really read the 1st and 3rd book... ; I'll try my best to get details right but I'm only human! Thankies again for patience and comments!

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_**This chapter didn't end up as well as I hoped but nevertheless...**_

Chapter 2: _**Dwindling hope **_

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In the goblin kingdom palace throne room:

A figure paced restlessly up and down the spacious throne room lighted by a few magical blue candles, the pacing never varied from its pattern. The sole occupant of the room, with the exception of a light green skinned silver haired distinguished clothed male goblin seated in a soft leather chair a little away from the main throne, paced agitatedly. Gloved hands clasped behind his back the figure outfitted in a dark riding cloak covering most of his features halted reluctantly in its frenzied pacing as a polite cough arose from its companion.

"Yes?" A deep melodic voice asked coming from the depths of the hood which was slightly elevated by two pointy objects beneath the shady hood.

"My lord, we're running out of time..." the seated goblin said its voice raspy but its speech a pure British accent.

"I know...I know! But what can I do? Tell me that, Heyzel and you'll have solved the kingdom's greatest problem. " The melodic voice irritatedly responded to the question he'd been tormented with for 6 months now...

A great rumble shaking the structure of the room threw the poor disgruntled silver haired goblin off his chair. The cloaked figure managed to stay on his feet but let out a muffled unintelligible remark as the room steadied out. The silver hair goblin hastily picked himself off the floor and dusted off his dark breeches and rich green trimmed vest.

"It seems your majesty that we're not the only ones suffer-" Heyzel coolly remarked when another wave sent him unceremoniously on the floor again.

"Gee is it just me or do the waves always seem worse on Mondays?" The deep melodic voice sarcastically noted as it knelt by his companion.

"Ugh...I really hate Mondays..." Heyzel muttered as he sat on the floor untrustingly and looked up at the king.

"You were saying about time?" The king asked politely while extending his right gloved hand to help lift his advisor back to his feet.

"Time is running out for you to pick a bride... The elfin treaty by Marak Catspaw, your great great great-"

"You can skip the greats, Heyzel, somehow I doubt he cares.…" the king pointed out.

The goblin shifted indignantly but sighed nodding, "The elfin treaty with the Elf King Nir forbids us from choosing an elf bride. That is elves within his band which scholars believe to be the last elf band in existence. While with the exception of the few treaties we've arranged like with your great grandmother's marriage and such. The elfs are in no state or mood to allow a treaty that is not beneficial to them as their king is also facing a similar dilemma according to our spy's reports."

"So that leaves it to being a human..." The goblin king concluded a note of unease in his voice.

His advisor nodded silently. Humans were the only other bride that had ever been acceptable to the forefathers for the goblin race. The advisor noted that a human bride would probably prove beneficial to the bloodline anyway. The current Marak in the cloak before him had quite a lot of elf blood accumulated in him which led to some embarrassing mistakes with other elfs with the exception of a few distinct traits one could hardly call him a goblin at all.

The goblin king watched his advisor warily, he stood patiently waiting for some advice or other info that could torment him further; as his failure to have or get a bride was leading to many problems in the kingdom which had expanded quite a bit since his ancestor Marak Catspaw's time.

The goblin king shifted uncomfortably the cloak was really hot and irritating his ears and without realizing the consequence the king reached up and quickly pulled the hood down. A quiet sigh of relief left his body as his fox ears flickered in the cool air unrestricted. A small gasp coming from his left side and the shatter of glass made him turn sharply to see a goblin maid's look of horror, fascination, and amazement. The look promptly reminded him why he usually wore cloaks in the throne room along with the spilled china on the floor.

'_Snap...'_ he scolded himself as his advisor started to his feet.

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	4. Chapter 3 Campfire tales

**Chapter 3- Failing Stars...**

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Here's chapter 3 where we finally get to the minor 3rd POV key for this! More 3rd Pov next chappy too but just a quick update:D

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__**Arisa: 002 why do you always insist on writing at night?**_

002: B/c that's when inspiration hits me... 

_**Hannah snickering : Sure... More like when you are sleeping. **_

_**Arisa: Hannah!**_

_**002: Hey I made you I can unmake you!**_

_**Hannah motioning to herself : Do so by all means...I'm sick of waiting for my turn...**_

_**Arisa: Um... ; 002fox doesn't own Hollow Trilogy and never will she does own her characters though.. And this plot... And—**_

_**002: I think they get it...**_

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**Special Thankies to : ****xTamikax**** and ****Major Lynette**

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A campfire glittered about 15 miles off from the Hallow manor deep in the forests by an old wooden tavern. Figures all crowded around it sitting or standing at various distances from the fire. Two figure stood a great deal away from the fire conversing quietly in a smooth strange language that sounded foreign but watching the other figures closer to the fire. The companion farthest from the fire was a bit tall and had a dark green cloak shading his features his shorter companion was donned in a dark red cloak and was only a few steps closer to the fire and kept eyeing the others distrustfully.

"Aye you hear bout the _snobbies_ going off?" A man with a black coarse stubble and rough voice asked nudging his friend in the side slightly as he raised his hands closer to the fire. The fire sparked for a moment and the heat was welcome compared to the cool lingering spring wind.

"You mean them peacocks at the manor on hallow hill?" his friend asked with a drawling accent shaking his long dirty blonde hair.

The two farthest from the fire quieted slightly and the taller one held up a slim pale hand silencing his red cloaked companion in mid sentence. Their actions went unnoticed by the men crowding the fire to hear this strange gossip.

"Be the perfect time to show them they can't get respect around here with money... Besides no one really cares about them pansies right?" A third voice quipped in a light tenor voice giddily.

"Wrong...," the man with the stubble said shaking his dark short hair and hugging his gray poncho closer to himself and leaning conspiringly in, " They've got some little girl from America comin' in to "watch" the house with her lil friend."

The two man snickered delighted at this prospect.

"Poor girls!" The light tenor said midst his snicker, "They come straight out of America only to expect all peoples in England to haves teas and crumpets!"

"Righto Governor!" The dirty blonde curtly nodded and chuckled huskily.

" The girl though, that inheritress... If she disappears...wells wouldn't that be just terrible..." The coarse dark haired man said shrugging and picking up a stick to poke the hot embers with.

The two men exchanged glances.

"Just terrible." The tenor said warily but with a hint of menace in his voice only to be slugged in the shoulder of his blue poncho by the dirty blonde haired man .

"Quiets you!" the blonde chided clicking his tongue disapprovingly but conspicuously meaning to point at the two earlier figures he'd seen lingering far away from the fire.

"What you worried bout?" The tenor exclaimed irritated glancing behind him seeing no one.

"There was... I thought...-" stammered the dirty blonde haired man.

"Never mind it, Will." The coarse man scolded and drew a knife from within his cloak, "We've got other things to discuss."

The dark blonde man nodded warily , "Right Erin."

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**R&R plz! Thankies for reading this and plz comment! Starts out slow but it'll get rolling! ******

**002fox.**

**P.S- My goal is to be at least one of the completed Fanfics here but I need reviews to continue! **


	5. Chapter 4 Good news and Bad news

Early update but nyeh... Please R&R!

This is a bit of a more explanation on the last chapter a peek at the elves circumstances...

:D

Sorry to be short but please enjoy!

-002fox.

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A dark haired elf stopped mid act of entering a massive royal blue tent turning to see a nurse like dressed elf approach him with an ashen pallor on her face. The maiden elf had sad and tired gray eyes.

"My lord, there's another one that's fallen the 6th one from the past two days... The disease is spreading..."

"Whom was it this time?" The king asked rubbing his temple afraid of the answer.

"Madeline..." the nurse supplied softly watching him warily.

The king winced and muttered something darkly under his breath then seethed in a trembling voice, "3rd strongest magical female!"

The maiden nodded and backed away slightly at her lord's anger. He took deep breaths closing his eyes and dismissed her, "Thank you, Lareen, and keep me posted..." He opened his eyes to watch her leave quickly and turned entering his tent in a sour mood. The elf king paced within his tent which served as a meeting place for some of his high officials. The tent was wonderfully spacious and made of fine material.

"Your Highness Royce and Wink have entered the grounds." A young blonde elf boy informed timidly appearing near the entrance of the tent.

"Good. Fetch them please, Phillip." The king instructed coolly taking a seat in a beautiful leather chair at the head of a polished mahogany table that was surrounded by a few other chairs but none as high class as his.

Once the boy had left his presence the king folded his arms laying down his head. A soft sigh escaped his pale perfect lips. The Elf king was the definition of beauty some would say. Dark rich locks fell to his shoulders regally, his skin was creamy yet slightly pale, high cheek bones led to delving almond shaped sparking sky blue eyes. He was handsome and he knew it. The king straightened from his former position his magic restless in him.

'_What can be done the kingdom is starting to suffer from the imbalance of magic... IF only those goblins hadn't been so greedy with the last generations hallow hill had then our kingdoms wouldn't be in this mess... The fools...'_

The king's thoughts ran darker and his hands folded on his lap twitched slightly impatiently.

'_A bride would...A bride will bring balance to the magic the stars say but there isn't a human qualifying within-' _He thought bitterly when the tent's flap suddenly was wrenched back and 2 panting cloaked figures one red and the other green rushed in.

The elf king stood up surveying their breathlessness.

"Well?" he asked trying to hid the tinge of hopefulness in his silk tone.

"King Naswa you won't believe it!" the younger red cloaked figure stated excitedly throwing his cloak hood back to reveal a young roguish face with blonde bangs falling over emerald eyes.

"Winik, calm down." The elder green cloaked companion advised slowly pulling down his hood to reveal short platinum hair and wise jade colored eyes.

"Sorry sir but I sill can't believe-" The proclaimed Winik chirped but stopped mid-sentence as Naswa held up a hand silencing him.

" Royce, will you explain before Winik burst from his excitement?" The elf king calmly demanded starting to pace again.

Royce bowed his head nodding, "We've returned from the human tavern to bring you the news that may help with the imbalance."

The Elvin king raised on elegant eyebrow doubtfully, "Oh?"

Winik nodded vigorously opening his mouth only to have Royce put his hand kindly quieting the pup.

"2 human girls are rumored to be arriving to stay at the Hallow Hill," Royce paused evaluating the King's reaction carefully before continuing, "alone."

The King strode to the leather chair and sunk down gazing seriously at his 2 spies.

"Is this true?" he pressed skeptically.

"From our sources it is a possibility." Royce charily stated.

"That doesn't answer my question." Naswa said flatly rising from his seat.

"Yes!" Winik blurted out pulling his elder's hand down.

The king was silent for a moment and walked to the tenet's entrance and lifted the flap watching his people singing, working, playing, and laughing. His gaze remained on the familiar comforting scene as he said solemnly fingering the tent flap, "It better be... We're running out of time."

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Woot fastest update evers!

Hope you enjoyed this scene and the next one we get back to the main girls!

Hannah: Finally!

Anyways... Hope you hit that button and Review!

Till next time!

002fox


	6. Chapter 5 Clouds and one strange dream

**Clouds and one strange dream...**

Hey! I'm back with a quick updated chapter...

Sadly this is a bit more background setting but as I said the characters will clash soon just gimme time! Plz!

This chapter is divided actually into two since the next one will also be in Hannah&Arisa's POV.

R&R! passes out cookies

002fox

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_5 excruciating hours after the near collision incident.….….…._

Arisa stared out the plane window as they were hundreds if not thousands of feet off the ground. Her wide eyed brown eyes studied the Smokey colored clouds hovering around the plane's wings aimlessly.

"Hey Hannah... If someone invented a way to live in the sky how would they deal with thunderstorms ? " Arisa asked randomly still staring out the window waiting for a response.

".…" Hannah didn't reply.

"Hannah?" Arisa quipped annoyed and turned to see her friend, slumped in the comfy plane seat baseball cap over her eyes, sleeping.

A small smile passed on Arisa's lips and she quietly giggled at her friend's unusual choice of sleeping. Usually Hannah would insist on staying away till she was on the ground but then again the ride to get to the airport after the near collision with the truck had kept her wary and overly cautious.

'_Poor Hannah ... Always making sure everyone is safe before worrying about herself...' _Arisa thought messing with one of her bags and withdrawing a blanket carefully spreading it over her friend's sleeping form.

An unexpected bump lurched Arisa forward and bonked her head into the gray seat infront of her.

"Ow!" Arisa cried out and rubbed her head then bit her tongue for being noisy and turned hastily only to see her friend still peacefully oblivious.

An intercom on the plane went static before stating calmly, "Sorry for the rough bump folks but it seems we'll be having to pass some storm clouds before we land in England so please keep your seatbelts on and stay in your seat unless there is an emergency... "

Arisa pouted shifting uncomfortably in her chair and leaning away from the window and as close as possible toward Hannah without waking her up or touching her.

"Great... I hate storms...," She commented turning to look at her friend again she added, "Maybe I should try to sleep too after all once we land we'll be—" she cut off yawning then snuggled into her seat slouching before finishing, "—all busy trying to figure out how to get a taxi and if we can drive and... if... Zzzzzz.…"

Lightning flashed outside and a smaller bump hit the plane and a loud boom of thunder racked the plane occupants with its harsh voice. Hannah mumbled something that sounded a lot like 'Be quiet!' and soon drifted into her previous deep slumber...

Arisa lightly slept drifting slowly into the land of dreams... Everything was hazy and distorted shapes and figures and murmured words... A harsh strange voice, someone sadly crying out, screams of rage, and the dull cry of thunder behind it all followed by Hannah's distinct voice screaming her name, "ARISA NO!" Arisa frowned in her sleep tossing fitfully.

A huge crash off thunder and the flicker of lights awakened a rather stiff Hannah who stretched and turned to her companion who was tossing and turning like something kept poking her.

"Risa?" Hannah whispered after checking her watch to see that the plane would soon descend, "Risa get up."

"Mmmm ... Go away... I can't understand... No wait!" Came the incomprehensible words from Arisa who still lay trapped in the strange tormenting dream...

"Arisa?! Arisa get up sleepy head your gonna miss the view of landing, the 3rd thing on your list you wanted to do before getting in England!" Hannah said exasperatedly and shook her weary friend, grasping firmly her shoulders.

Arisa swatted at Hannah's hand on her shoulder.

" Okay fine. You leave me no choice."

"Arisa... Arisa, my cousin's going to ride '_Black Spirit'_... "

"WHAT!" Arisa cried out sitting up so fast that Hannah backed away surprised, " You said I could ride it first!"

Hannah blinked shocked at Arisa's reaction then started to laugh slightly a hand at her mouth trying to suppress it.

Arisa turned to her, "Hey! What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing..." Hannah curtly said then lightly tapped her watch before signaling to the window.

"OH!" Arisa said realizing what Hannah was motioning about and eagerly gazed out the window only to have a grumpy ole storm cloud block her view of the city.

"Aw man!" Arisa said disappointedly turning to Hannah who shrugged.

"Guess you can't mark that off your list... "

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**Love it? Hate it? Plz review and no flames! **

**Till next chappy!**

**002fox.**


	7. Chapter 6 Landing In London

VI **A/N: I DON"T OWN ANY CHARCTERS FROM CLARE B. DUNKLE SO DON"T SUE!!**

D Now that this disclaimer is out of the way not I can apologize for the wait... XD Sorry to disappoint but the wait may drag out a lil longer luckily though I got inspired to jot this chapter before I got hauled off by my busy life! :P

Anyways hope you enjoy and many thanks and applause to my two awesome beta buddies for helping me with this looking forward to working with ya guys on continuing chapters!

**-Claps for: - **wishing for a myracle and Lioness's Heart

Please enjoy!!

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLanding in London.…

"Hannah where are we going?" Arisa half asked and half whined puling a suitcase a mover would shutter to behold with its wide girth.

Hannah stood in the middle of the sidewalk examining a map while destinations and flights were randomly blared over the intercom. The baseball capped girl ignored her friend's situation secretly taking a little pleasure in that Arisa was now learning the 'luggage lesson.'

Arisa paused in her hauling grumbling under her breath ill will towards the dark hair infront of her. The rain which had cleared upon their landing started to mercifully douse them _again_.

"Ooh! It's not fair!!" Arisa cried wrinkling her nose in mild distaste for a moment before looking up in wonder closing her eyes briefly. Hannah glanced behind to see her in that position before rolling her eyes questioning the sanity of her friend...

"At least its not thundering-" began Hannah smugly a mildly drenched Arisa at her side peeking unhappily at the map, "-but then again lets not push our luck." Hannah purposely strode swiftly but failed, in her perusing of the map, to see the puddle that lay menacingly infront of her a few steps forward. Arisa's mouth opened in realization just as Hannah's left foot slipped.

"What the-- Oomph!" Hannah groaned the map soaked as well as most of her attire with the exception of her hat still perched on her head which she hurriedly checked. Arisa left the luggage amongst the moving crowd to check the damage.

"Are you alright?" Arisa asked concerned offering a hand to help Hannah to her feet. Hannah dusted herself off unsuccessfully shivering slightly and lightly adjusting her cap, trying to recover her dignity as a few onlooker shook their heads at her state.

"Yeah." Hannah gruffly stated shrugging off her friend's concern she leaned down to grab the soaked map praying it was somehow still readable when a mischievous wind swept it up playfully taking the soaked info.

"NOO!" Arisa shouted earning her a few strange glances from hurried people trying to catch the early plane before 4 o'clock a.m pointedly avoiding the duo. Aris took after it as if her life depended on it with Hannah hot on her heels.

"It's getting away," Hannah called out frustrated, eyes zeroed in on the map everything else fading into a blurry background with the exception of Arisa's form infront of her jumping in vain.

The map fluttered breezily before dropping in the middle of a rocky road street lights dimly illuminating it in the stormy weather. Arisa sprinted towards it determined to not let the wind win. But she didn't see a dark sleek car turning the corner.

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A car's high pitched beep of a messy turn hit my senses making my heart skip a beat. I'd fallen behind Arisa and was catching my breath when the urgency swept through me.

'_Danger..._' My senses whispered stirring from their groggy sleep state.

"Arisa.…" I whispered becoming in mere moments frantic. I dashed off passing the corner I'd seen her disappear 2 seconds ago only to see everything turn to a slow motion video or where everybody was underwater... Arisa scooped down to pick up the soggy paper not seeing or hearing the ominous car. The black blur snapped something in me.

I lunged towards Arisa praying somehow the strange car would brake and the rain provided ample cover. Running too fast to be completely human one of my hands pushed Arisa out of the car's trajectory and towards the semi-empty sidewalk my other hand shot out towards the car's hood which I could feel nearing me as the scent of burning rubber and the scream of screeching metal hit me dizzying me temporarily.

My hair started floating half supernaturally as the hand touching metal squeezed sending a slight wave into the car causing it to squeal in protest but stop. A tired sigh escaped my lips as my knees buckled on me, body aching from the quick energy release. My body felt weak and my vision blurred for moments I can't count remind me I couldn't exert myself like this, I'm still half human.…

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Arisa's Pov--

A familiar hand shoved forcefully into my back propelling me toward the hazy sidewalk. The ground raised up to meet me providing a not so cushy landing. I struggled to me feet after the shook feeling like I'd just launched myself into a brick wall. My yellow shirt was sopping wet and muddy and the dirtiness was unwelcoming.

I turned quickly forgetting my state distinctly hearing the disgusting screech of metal and smelling the foul odor of smoldering tires.

"Eww..." I mumbled pulling my shirt over my mouth and scanning in the dark pouring street for Hannah.

My eyes widened as the rain's curtain seemed to lift obeying me showing me Hannah er what I think was Hannah. Her countenance changed to near demonic or otherworldly her hair floating behind her though no wind sailed. Her eyes seemed to be glowing crimson but that must be a trick of the light... I blinked looking away for a moment unbelieving...

'_Gotta stop watching Martin Mystery...'_ I wryly noted before focusing again on my friend who had somehow fallen to her knees infront of a car whose engine smoked lightly polluting the clean rain scented air.

My voice found itself before my jello muscles did. "Oh my goodness! Hannah are you okay?" I squeaked my voice strangely disconnected. I took a step forward feeling like I was attempting to run through water.

Hannah looked up but her face was shaded by the baseball cap and dawn's light she nodded numbly. She cleared her throat and croaked out, "You?"

I lowered myself next to her hesitantly grabbing her arm making sure she was really here. I laughed thinly, "I'm fine but the map's ruined..."

Hannah muttered something incomprehensibly before getting to her feet. The rain slowed to a gentle drizzle as if running out of water conveniently at that point.

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Main Pov-

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"Girls are you alright?!" A worried grandmotherly tone totally alien asked. The voice coming from behind us. We both looked up to see a flower peddler coming towards us wheeling her cart.

"We're fine." Hannah called out briskly getting to her feet baseball cap still shading the face so no emotion could be seen. The woman still proceeded pausing to park her cart on the edge of the sidewalk next to an empty white bench before stepping down to the street.

"Dear dear dear! What on earth happened?" she fussed looking both drowned girls over.

Arisa's hair was dripping down her mid back like a wet mop. Hannah's hair looked strangely shaggy and inhuman. Both girls' clothes stuck to them like another layer of skin shamelessly outlining their figures.

"Uh," Arisa stuttered folding her arms across her chest looking at Hannah for help, "what did happen?"

Hannah raised an eyebrow but didn't look up from the ground she shrugged.

"Oh dear you best get out of those wet clothes you'll catch cold in this weather..." The old woman prodded in a sugary tone.

"Right... I'll just go get the lug--," Arisa began before freezing and then slapping her forehead angrily surprising the old lady, "- oh man the luggage!"

"What?" Hannah boredly questioned quite used to frustrated outbursts from the honey eyed girl next to her.

"I left the luggage back there... Oh! I'll go get it. Wait right here!" Arisa gushed hurriedly turning and dashing off towards the sidewalk strangely enough not bothering to notice that no owner had emerged from the car that stayed motionless since Hannah's risky feat.

"Like I have a choice..." Hannah muttered glancing up at the woman observing her attire half curious. The woman looked in her late 60s to early 70s a strange age to be peddling flowers. Her glazy blue eyes made her seem almost blind and contrasted significantly to her yellow flower printed dress that flowed to her ankles revealing sandal/shoe mix footwear. Hannah's eyes were again drawn to her face to see a strange spark in her eye that seemed somewhat familiar in a bad way.…

The woman smiled provocatively, "Something wrong?"

Hannah's senses distorted for a mere second before she was completely back on guard, "No." Hannah turned from her rocking slightly on her heels suddenly anxious to be in her friends company again.

Arisa's form came back into view visibly gloomier as she trotted slowly to them not bothering to look both ways on the road. She shook her head as she reached their side again.

"It's gone. All gone.…" Arisa moaned as if lamenting a much loved pet.

"Your luggage?" Hannah asked tersely.

"Yeah... The camera ...film shop digital... sunscreen..."

At s_unscreen_ Hannah laughed lightly pointing at the sky which still remained quite gloomy and reluctantly allowing dawn's streaks to color it.

"Don't be too down dear now you'll be able to go shopping for more. London has quite a lot of boutiques..." The woman offered gracefully hands busily working on her cart's flowers. Arisa was momentarily distracted by their dazzling color and variety. Pale pinks, deep reds, hues of blue, lavender, golden poppies, dark petals almost black, and pure white exotic flowers decorated the cart filling the air near them with heavy scents.

Hannah froze in horror at shopping shuddering inwardly turning to see Arisa perk up.

"Your right! Hannah we'll go shopping as soon as we settle in kay. And yes you have to go." Arisa grinned happily.

"I hate shopping." Hannah seethed under her breath crimson eyes glowing making Arisa do a double take.

"What's that?" Arisa gasped meaning Hannah's eye color but being misinterpreted.

"Nothing." Hannah lied folding her arms hoping they could find a taxi that wouldn't think they were some half drowned rouges or tourists but with Arisa in tow acting like the latter one well...

"Cheer up lil one here why don't you take one of my luck flowers to put you on the right track?" the woman soothingly advised lifting a beautiful 10 petal bearing pure white flower towards Arisa.

Arisa hesitated to take the proffered gift.

"It's on me dear. Consider it a welcome to London." The woman pushed an overly bright smile flashing.

Hannah turned to the two studying the flower its petals forming an unusual but attractive star shape with golden anthers stretching from the center. _'Funny I don't remember seeing that flower in the florist class Arisa insisted we take...New breed?'_

"Well...I guess a little luck maybe would help..." Arisa said smiling weakly as the woman proceeded to reach intending to gently pin it behind her right ear but Arisa's hand shot up and grabbed the woman's wrist, "No wait... Let me..."

The woman seemed to want to oppose but then relented watching as Arisa carefully pulled her hair back to pin the flower but cautiously made sure the tips of her ears were still covered with her light toned chestnut hair.

Hannah cleared her throat glancing at her fortunately water proof navy blue watch.

"Arisa we'd better hurry or the movers will get there before us. Looks like we'll be pulling an all nighter..."

"Movers? You aren't visiting?" The old woman inquired overly curious.

"No we're watching Hannah's house." Arisa pointed out friendly to this concerned florist.

"It's not mine yet." Hannah snapped irritated strolling toward the other corner of the deserted street looking around for a taxi.

"Which house is it if you don't mind me asking..." The woman humbling inquired turning back to her flowers bustling over them.

Hannah rolled her eyes anxious to get this nosy woman off her case, "The manor known as Hallow Hall."

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A/N: Woot good long update... - **faints from typing that long**-

) Thankies for those of you who are keeping up with this and stay tuned for the interaction scenes coming up pretty soon. Till next time!

**002fox.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!! MIGHT RESULT IN FASTER UPDATE!!**

**P.S- Anyone know how to fix spacing??**


	8. Chapter 7 Glimpses and flashes

**Thankies to those who were patient with this and reviewed! **

**Here's the next chapter and we're getting majorly close to character interaction! YAY!  
**

**Hannah: She doesn't own Hollow Trilogy series.**

**Arisa: Yeah she wishes. **

**Me holds up frying pan at those two **

**Arisa and Hannah: .…. We'll just uh... **

In hollow hill's palace--

The Goblin King was reminded very swiftly why he insisted on wearing the insufferable cloak. Reminded in an instant by the goblin maid's gasp and the broken china.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, an old nervous and frustrated habit.

The maid's Peridot cat eyes widened at getting a glimpse of the king. His long unruly dark brown hair was pulled back with a satin black ribbon and his face was handsome yet appalling. He had the high cheek bones of a royal elf, perfect shaped lips, and a human like nose. Fox ears noticeably perched on his head warm golden hued fur bristling from it. His eyes were mismatched. One was an icy artic blue whilst the other was a deep toned jade color. All traits seemed to render him looking like a high elf blood goblin mix. That would've been believable if he didn't have the scars.

2 distinct scarlet scars danced diagonally horizontal along his pale skinned cheeks. 2 forgotten tear trails. They were brilliant against his snowy ivory white skin that almost played them off as painted. A fifth scar lay almost randomly placed slashed from the far right edge of one of his dark eyebrows down to the corner of where his right eye met the T-zone.

"You... Your ...Highness!" the feline maid squeaked wanting to be anywhere but where she stood

"Melanie!" Heyzel's voice called from a bit behind the king his voice scolding. "Please alert us before you enter..."

" Sorry." Melanie apologized sputtering many more as she started to bend down to fuss over the mess.

The king lifted one hand inwardly wincing as the girl infront of him flinched and seemed to cower. His people shouldn't fear.

"Don't trouble, yourself." He heard himself almost mechanically say, "It was an accident."

The maid paled but nodded vigorously. She eyed him warily.

"Please," Marak gently amended kneeling near her and picking up a piece of the broken china, "let me... " He murmured a quick remedy spell and the pieces pulled themselves neatly together. The feline's eyes widened shocked and delighted.

"Thank you... Thank you!" she lavished all fear removed upon his act of kindness. Seeing him with new eyes. He wasn't savage as his looks portrayed him. He was kind.

Marak chuckled a sweet low almost husky laugh.

The maid gathered the china and blushing a little quickly excused herself from their presence.

"You didn't have to do that." Heyzel stiffly said shifting nervously near Marak's side his hand slipping in his uniform's pocket to toy with his familiar silver watch.

Marak shrugged good-naturedly, "I wanted to help. My people deserve it. They deserve happiness no matter how simple it may be."

Heyzel smiled glad to see the once reluctant prince slipping into his kingship more fully.

_--Flashback--_

"_Young prince! Please get down here now!" Heyzel had pled 15 years before with the young prince hugging tightly to a sturdy pine tree's branch. It creaked again groaning from the young boy's weight. Yet the boy held fast. His fox ear's flickered alert. _

"Please.…" Heyzel whispered feverishly turning to see the sun start to peek over the horizon. Light meant humans. Humans meant trouble.

_Heyzel in his desperateness leapt trying to secure the young man's left heel which dangled tauntingly. The young prince however snatched it up, laughing playfully. _

"C'mon, Heyzel, come an get me!" the boy challenged his mismatched eyes twinkling mischievously.

"_Foxears please! The sun is coming and your father—" The green skinned goblin begged one hand tugging nervously at his silver pocket watch imagining the king's disappointment at not being able to handle and protect the boy. _

"_Heyzel." _A familiar voice called youth and maturity mirroring 2 voices of past and present colliding in an instant.

--

"Heyzel? Heyzel?" A low anxious voice inquired breaking him out of his reverie.

"Sire?" he mused blinking his dark brown eyes trying to come back to the present.

"You were saying before-?" Marak prodded looking meaningfully at his trusted advisor.

It took a moment for the advisor to recall what he had said but it slowly dawned on him and he took a deep breath prepping himself.

"About dwindling time?" Heyzel gingerly questioned his dark eyes looking up to see his friend's mismatched ones.

Marak nodded his artic blue and jade eyes wary and cautious.

Heyzel sighed hating to disappoint him, his young friend and king. "There is as we conferred earlier only one choice. You need to acquire a human bride." The whole wording of the situation was rather awkward. A delicate silence settled in after that.

Marak broke the silence by asking the impending question which both feared, "How much time do I have?" The king's reply was surprisingly curt and almost detached.

"I'm not sure," his silver haired friend replied frustratedly before lowering his voice, "by the state of the kingdom I'd guess 3 weeks at best."

"And at the worst?" The question burned in Marak's throat and lay hauntingly in the air. It made Heyzel pause to study the king's reaction. Marak's face was patient and his eyes betrayed nothing.

Heyzel shook his head it'd do no good to let thoughts stray in that direction. Marak finally after a moment nodded understanding the silence and mutely lifted up the hood of his cloak his face once again cloaked in shadows. Marak turned his dark cloak swishing softly at his leave.

The room felt empty as well as the hope in Heyzel's heart as he watched the king depart. He didn't ask where his kingship was going. The answer was simple. During times of stress the king would go to the surface to a certain land and an abandoned lodge. All of which lay in the land that had been interconnected with the Hollow Lake as far as any scholar could remember.

The land of Hallow Hall.

**002fox: glad we got a description pinned to Marak now... ******

**Sorry if it seemed short but inspiration is trickling... So yeah...**

Please review!! 

**And just out of curiosity who do you all think is going to end up with whom? **

**  
So far 2 reviews seem confident that it'll be MarakxH and Elf KingxA but nyeh we'll see! **

**  
Till next time! **

**  
002fox**

**P.S- For my betas Sorry guys but I think I'll wait till I complete this story then just beta it and repost it! Sorry for any inconvenience! **


	9. Chapter 8Box blues and strange event

**Thankies to those who were patient with this and review! **

**A little character interaction! YAY!  
**

**Hannah: She doesn't own Hollow Trilogy series.**

Arisa: She couldn't really...

Me: sadly True but I do own these guys!

Arisa & me: SO NO STEALIES PLEASE!

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**7:20 p.m Hallow Hall--**

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After an uneventful taxi ride and arriving at the house with tons of movers impatiently present the two girls set to work.

"We'll need your signature here, miss, before we can move in the stuff your aunts wanted.…" A gruff towering mover man explained while many men moved behind him carrying boxes from a truck and running this way and that. All uniformed with their companies orange logo shirts.

"Great..." muttered a cross and exhausted Hannah as she with a quick flourish signed her name to the contract her eyes dancing over the lengthy statement of how movers would not be responsible once signed if anything was broken and etc...

"Hey Arisa!" Hannah called over her shoulders to her friend who had just finished moving one of the last brown boxes from the truck much to the amusement of the driver who leaned on the side of his vehicle taking a sip of his coffee. Hannah felt a low growl start in the back of her throat as the driver's eyes raked across her friend's figure.

"Eh?" Arisa asked strolling as quickly as she could with the bulk in her hand.

Hannah rolled her eyes as her friend almost tripped but regained balance well enough.

"That's the last one right?" Hannah tentatively asked pleading in her heart that it was. She didn't want to be around these men one more minute then necessary.

Arisa nodded then realizing her friend might not be able to see the nod quipped tiredly, "Yeah..." Maneuvering around all these people was a bit more then she was used to and her own sense set her uneasy.

"Thank goodness." Hannah exaggeratedly exclaimed and turned to pick up the box she had put aside to sign the contract. She scooped it up, it being a semi- large box and covering from her stomach to her chin, and headed towards the house to see how much would need to be unpacked. She stopped at the strong ageless mahogany door with its silver handle, a strange unfamiliar shiver crawling up her spine.

"Hannah?" A concerned light voice questioned a little behind her. Arisa's arms started to threaten to give out the weight of the box catching up with her. Why wasn't Hannah moving?

Hannah didn't reply but closed her eyes a moment trying to pinpoint the feeling. Why did she suddenly feel so jumpy?

'_There are a lot of people busying around of course one might be watching me.'_ she reasoned with herself relaxing.Her lip curled however at the thought.

"I'm fine sorry just a lil tired." Hannah lied and carefully shifted the box to one arm stretching the muscle as her other hand quickly opened the door.

"Oh." Arisa replied understanding but still not buying such a trivial thing. She gingerly stepped into the doorway almost dropping the box when she entered the manor.

"Wow!" She whispered doing her best to grip the box and sweeping her eyes across the beautiful room.

A delicate chandelier hung coating the room in a warm mystic glow the floor were a strange type of elegant ceramic tile and furniture lay outlining the room with a graceful style. A beautiful carved polished wood end table accompanied by comfortable chairs and a couple of book shelves sprawled in symmetric exactness in the large open room. The room gave off an aura of welcome along with a noble feel.

"Arisa, are you going to stand there gaping all night or are you going to help me?" Hannah impatiently inquired trying not to smile at Arisa's childlike awe.

"Mm... Sorry!" Arisa retorted humbly and quickly set off to find the proper room the box belonged to.

xxxxxx-- 3 hours and 15 minutes later--9:35 p.m--xxxxx--

"Geez what were Lora and Rina thinking! There's got to be at least 80 boxes here that all need unpacking..."

"Lora and Rina?" Arisa panted sitting back to back with Hannah in the middle of the large spacious kitchen, boxes surrounding them almost every side.

"My aunts." Hannah darkly responded her eyes taking in the strange brown wall that seemed to have formed around them.

"Well at least we won't have to worry about being lazy tomorrow..." Arisa jokingly suggested, unenthusiastically gesturing towards the boxes.

"No," agreed Hannah pulling down on her baseball camp, "we'll just die from boredom.…"

"Not exactly how I planned to go." Arisa wryly commented neither moving.

Hannah yawned stretching slightly, "Man I'm tired what time is it?"

Arisa checked her digital watch stifling a yawn, "9:35"

Hannah groaned folding her arms, "You know sleeping in the kitchen doesn't sound to bad right now."

Arisa shook her head, "That's the jet lag talking."

Hannah playfully nudged her before getting up, "Nah. We took a nap on the plane remember?"

Arisa didn't comment choosing rather to just lay down on the kitchen floor closing her eyes and feigning sleep.

"Come one sleepy we better at least go get rid of the garbage those mover men left if we don't want this place to be raided by raccoons.

"Your right." Arisa dejectedly agreed getting up and picking her way through the maze of boxes, "I'll go dump the two white bags you smartly laid out before."

"Fine. I'll go see if they left anything in the lobby and back...," Hannah supplied yawning one more time before she moved her tired body towards the lobby, "...Oh and Arisa?" she called out suddenly remembering.

"Eh?" her friend called from the other room, the voice slightly echoing from all the empty space.

"If you see anything ...weird...Just come back here okay?" Hannah awkwardly requested.

"You got it." came the affirmed answer which paused and then spookily added, "I'll be sure to alert you if any ghosts are on the premises!"

Hannah rolled her eyes questioning her friend's maturity and quickly found her way out and headed back towards the lobby or entry way.

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

Arisa found herself whistling as she stepped out of the house into the cooling night. The uneasiness increased as she took more steps away from the house the trash bags in her hand. Everything once cloaked in the twilight now seemed dark and menacing. Even though the world was now in different shades of darker colors and she could see, she still didn't feel any better. She always had wondered about her ability though. Besides Hannah she was amongst the few of her childhood friends who could see pretty well in the dark.

'Hmm... I don't remember the dumpster being this far away maybe I wandered off a little more to the side.' She wondered as she peered around the path she was on. No, she was almost sure she was in the right place. The dumpster would be a couple paces from here.

"That's odd." She admitted outloud looking around unsuccessfully for the large gray dumpster she'd seen earlier. A bush a little off to her left moved slightly.

Her breath caught raggedly in her throat and her heart sped up.

'Oh please no...' her thoughts ran confusedly trying to find an explanation to such a small action. Swallowing her fear and sizing up that whatever it was had to be small she crept a little closer to the bush. 'Please don't be a coon.…'

The bush shivered again and two small eyes peered out at her. Her heart jumped into her throat as a shadowed small creature freed itself from the bush and sprang towards her stopping only 5ft away. It's dark pink nose twitched as well as its whiskers. Dark eyes twinkled as they looked up at the trembling girl who took a deep breath relaxing as the mysterious bush dweller was revealed.

'It's just a bunny...' Arisa confirmed startled by the remarkable dark brown fur it had.

"Hey little guy," She cooed softly to it kneeling slightly the bags still clutched in her hands.

The rabbit said nothing its nose twitching and eyes twinkling mysteriously.

"Ya scared me for a minute..." Arisa softly whispered studying it. Animals had always fascinated her along with plants. The rabbit seemed ordinary enough but her senses were still screamed in her to run back to the house. She pushed the feeling back. A rabbit couldn't be vicious, well at least unless it had rabies. This rabbit seemed quite tame watching her a bit curiously.

She started to stand back straight when something behind the rabbit caught her eyes. Golden brown eyes froze as they met an artic blue and jade gaze. Her senses were not screaming anymore, they were deafening her along with a suddenly suffocating feeling that everything was closing in on her. The forest went mute.

She opened her mouth to get air but nothing came in. Panic started to rake across her body tingling across her senses as well as an icy coldness that started to flood out of her core.

She wanted to run. Her feet were frozen. She wanted to scream but there was no air. She wanted to fight, move, do something...Her heart stopped.

A brilliant flash of blue light struck out violently towards the bush. The rabbit fled and the girl found herself sitting and shaking on the ground the trash bags open and splayed on either side of her. Her heart restarted again and air rushed into her lungs. The feeling sinkingly departed as if some wounded dangerous animal was slowly getting farther away. Sound returned to the world.

"What was that?!" she whispered fearfully not trusting herself to get to her feet. She peered around for the mystic two colored gaze. But there was nothing. Crickets chirped softly serenading.

Her heart slowly stopped its marathon as her head cleared. '_Where did that blue flash come from?'_ She pondered warily looking around still gathering her wits. A low moan of disappointment escaped her lips as her eyes registered the splayed bits of garbage.

'_Ah man...'_

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**002fox: Yay! Quicker update! ******

**Sorry if it seems short but this program eats the pages it looks so much longer but nyeh..**

**Please review!!**

**Till next time! **

**  
002fox**


	10. Chapter 9 Panic

Hannah muttered another foreign word as she knelt down picking up yet another cigarette but

Hannah muttered another foreign word as she knelt down picking up yet another cigarette but. _'Goodness next time I'll just move everything myself... Overpriced...Over trashy good for nothing movers.…' _

She impatiently shoved the piece of trash into the white large bag she held with her right hand. She looked around the back entry way which was modest in size compared to the lobby. Cozy and homey. With only a wooden bench and small closet full of cleaning products and miscellaneous items.

A strange ripple coursed across her senses. _Two_ ripples. One coming out of the effects of another. One was unusually powerful rivaling an aura she'd only felt in her childhood. The other felt familiar and moderate but spiked out lashing against the other.

She felt one of her eyebrows raise as curiosity settled in. '_What was that?' _She straightened up and felt her grip tighten around the trash bag, as she involuntarily was drawn towards the window. She peered into the darkness her hand hovering over the handle of the door when a sudden flash of blue light blinded her. She cried out raising one arm instinctually to shield her eyes.

'_Ugh...It's too bright!'_ She grunted as she was forced a couple steps back by the sheer force that pulsed against her being. The light was almost tangible and warning her.

As quickly as it came it disappeared. The light faded in one swift motion and darkness seeped back in. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she slowly brought her arm down, piercing blue blinking. The stronger presence shrunk as it seemed to distance itself but upon slight prodding she realized why it felt so strong.

The stronger power that seeped into her sense of territory wasn't human. Such a revelation instantly set her alert and troubled. She pushed the thought aside to probe the other wave of power she'd felt only to find it winked out. Gone. Not present as if off the face of the earth. A rather suspicious thing for such energy.

She waited a moment poised still trying to catch even a faint shimmer of the two powers. A moment passed and numbness danced back into her senses. The danger was gone. Both random blimps of energy had erased any existence besides her own in her core.

Yet still she waited. Carefully she put a hand over her heart daring to draw a bit of magical energy from her core. It was meager, but it was there a tiny candle like flame dancing inside her heart. She coaxed a drop out and pulled her hand away holding it a bit away from her face. Her eyes thoughtfully watched the tiny flame dance on her index finger. She leaned slightly closer and blew gently watching it flare. She pursed her lips absently curling her fingers to extinguish the flame.

She hated this big manor. Her sense of territory couldn't cover it all. Chills raced up her spine daring to ponder what the two energies meant. With such vast land her sense only could guard a small portion leaving the rest unexplored and unknown. There could be many creatures harboring magical abilities that parred and exceeded her own and she would never know.

She carelessly tied off the bag deciding to leave the rest of the mess to clean tomorrow.

"There's got to be somewhere smaller we can stay in..." Hannah muttered prowling her mind for every piece of info her aunt's had heaped on her. A 2 story modest house appeared in her mind. Beautiful, sturdy, and stick built. A small rare smile of triumph crossed her face as she delved into making plans to move there the next two days. Promising to sit the house didn't mean she had to live in this one... She'd secure it for sure but not live here.

Smirking as she left the room she flipped off the switch and headed towards the kitchen fully expecting her friend to enter soon.

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

It took a couple minutes to gather herself together. She kept reminding herself to take deep breaths as she shakily rounded up the garbage and disposed of it. Her left hand shook still as she closed the dumpster's lid.

Her thoughts slurred and twirled in an incomprehensible pile.

'_Shh...'_ A voice whispered from the corners of her mind and her body ceased trembling though the left hand stubbornly shivered still.

"ARISA?!" a voice called a stone throw's distance. Warm and edgily familiar. Upon no reply the voice complained good naturely, "C'mon! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DROP OFF GARBAGE! DON"T TELL ME YOU GOT LOST.…"

'_Hannah...'_ Her mind confirmed jumping over the past jumble of confusion to make sense of the present. Hannah was calling her. She scrambled to comply but her vision started to blur. The shades of black, gray and dark colors shimmered.

"ARISA THIS ISN"T FUNNY!" The lack of voice rendered Arisa unable to comply and she focused all energy to following the sound.

Her brow furrowed in concentration and she plead silently. _'That's it Hannah...Keep yelling for me...Chew me up...'_ Water clouded her vision as darkness swallowed up and she finally lost complete sight. Her vision went from blurs to nothingness in less then 10 seconds.

"ARISA, IF YOU DON"T GET OVER HERE NOW!" Hannah's voice impatiently yelled though worry belied the undertone. Crunchy footsteps strayed in her direction.

Arisa quickly groped through the darkness which she had seconds ago been able to see through. Only now it seemed she was stuck in a thick dense fog. Her eyesight had given out.

"ARISA-" Hannah called once more and this time the noise was so loud that Arisa thrust one hand out positive she'd brush up against her friend. She brushed up against material that was wonderfully familiar. Hannah's coarse sweater.

"Arisa what the—" two warm familiars hands seized her shoulders brushing against Arisa's cooling skin. Another sign of ill.

"Hannah!" a small almost hysterical syllable uttered before Arisa collapsed into sobs. Darkness had never been so cruelly relived...

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

Flashback: 6 years prior- Arisa's house:

"_Daddy! Daddy please stop..." garbled words useless to the menacing figure looming above her. Another harsh fist rounded near her temple already bruising tender skin. _

_  
Another cry escaped her lips and harsh claw like fingers dug into her arms shaking her. _

_A voice hissed into her ear, "It's all your fault! If you'd be a good girl this needn't happen!" _

_Another violent shake. More tears. More ache._

"_Where did you put it!" The scathing voice questioned hands shook her more.… The world was spinning. Everything was blurs... _

"_Dang it, Arisa! Where did you put my vodka!" _

_Endless more questions hammered at her. When she didn't respond more hurt. If she did respond she'd always have the wrong answer. She'd never have the right answer for him._

"_STOP!" She screeched her body couldn't take much more and the world was darkening she tried to crawl away but he seized her hair and dragged her back. _

_He pulled her small 11 year old face to his eyes glaring down merciless to his own flesh and blood. _

"_You're a disgrace and a lil thief..." A pause and then something terribly cold scrapping against her thin shoulders. _

_She whimpered as the steel burned against her skin. But she daren't protest. _

_It wasn't over fast enough. _

_He put her down after making two small cuts in her shoulder a spot she hated. Then he dropped her to the floor, leaving herself like a broken marionette. Weak muscles collapsed as she futilely tried to get off the floor, out of his range..._

_He moved off a little to the other side of the room. Strange smells entered the room and soon he turned and came back to her with the cursed bottle. _

"_No...No please... I won't do it again..." Stuttered whispered cries on deaf ears..._

_Then a nasty ill tasting liquid sliding forced down her tiny throat then the world lost color. No more different shades... First blurs... Then nothing... _

_Nothing but the sounds of drunk laughter and sobs echoing around her as her world went black._

_--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Arisa shivered uncontrollably in her friend's arms. Hannah didn't ask just held her for a few moments rubbing her back gently muttering soothing words.

"Shh...Shh...It's okay. I got ya...Don't worry..." Jumbled words that were muttered gently. Piercing eyes were softened as they rested on her friend.

Hannah's senses gently prodded across the girls getting an inkling of what was rendering her friend speechless. A growl was trapped in her throat. That memory was haunting her again.

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Flashback-_

_Hannah finally climbed over the fence that night. The last few nights in the neighborhood had been a strange experience. The house next door had lights going on at odd hours. And there were always strange cries muffled in the house. Hannah's mother had warned her not to poke around but curiosity had to be sated sometime. _

_She scrambled around awkwardly on this side of the fence unfamiliar of the terrain her insides were unusually anxious. _

'_Pain...' A cold voice whispered in her senses. A voice she was growing familiar with. The voice within her hadn't been identified till last week. Her father actually was the one to explain right before he left... _

_Hannah felt a growl escape her lips and she quickly put a hand over her mouth._

She still didn't feel comfortable that she was able to emit animalistic sounds. 

_She felt her eyes narrow in concentration as she scanned around for entrance into this house. A small mischievous smile played on her face as she stalked towards the house. Aware of any tiny movement. Grass swaying. Crickets singing. She glanced at the reflective surface of the small pond that occupied half of her neighbor's yard. The moon was full tonight and gracing her with bits of light. _

_She stared frozen at the reflection for a moment surprised. _

_The clear pond reflected a slight girl with two red scars running down her pale face. She reached on her own face and touched them feeling no pain. Grimly her father's voice echoed in her mind. The last conversation they'd shared._

'_**I know I haven't been honest with you always Hannah but it was for your own good...I'm not leaving because I don't love you or your mother...I'm not leaving for business or any other human reason...'**_

'_**Human? Daddy your being silly...'**_

'_**Hannah...I'm sorry baby girl...but ...I have to show you something before I leave.…'**_

_**You can imagine the response of an 11 year old to see her dad grow 4 inches in a few minutes and scars magically appear on his face along with his eyes turning a different color. His ears even grew a lil more pointed.**_

'_**Daddy?! What-'**_

"_**Hannah...' A patient humble look and hands tenderly resting on her shoulders ... 'I'm a demon.'**_

_A twig snapping brought her back to reality and she whirled to see a shabby dressed man stumble out the back door coughing and chuckling to himself as he lopped about to the garage. Not paying a glance to the back yard. But set on his course. _

_Hannah never remembered having stayed so still in her entire life. The minutes the man took to complete his quest were the longest she'd had in her short life. She finally took a breathe when he safely closed the garage door. _

_She crept forward and ducked into the back door he'd clumsily left open._

_Bright lights hit her and it took a moment to adjust. But once she did the small room lay before her cramped and suffocating. Objects lay haphazardly about. Table occupying strange smelling bottle. Books with words she'd never seen. _

_She timidly stepped forward admiring her surroundings when she heard _the_ sound._

_The sound that had drawn her there in the first place the sound that had made her senses tingly. _

_Strangled sobs. Muffled crying..._

_Hannah became lost in the sound as her body guided itself to the source. _

_The cold voice hummed pleasantly basking in the mysterious sound. _

_Hannah shook off the strange trance as her eyes fell across a horrible sight. A chill run down her spine. _

_A girl not much younger then herself lay across the wooden floor boards crowded in a corner. Blood dropping from wounds on her bare punctured shoulders and a head injury. The head injury was an ugly shade of green and Hannah didn't know which she was. Sick or elated. _

_Torn inside she boldly made her way to this broken creatures side. _

_Hannah silently sat near they young girl's head and cautiously peeked at her face. _

_The girl seemed to be bleeding but such injuries were severe. Blue eyes traveled down to see brown eyes. Or what should've been brown eyes. A strange milky fog color clung on top of the golden brown color of the eye. _

_A terrible cry raged trapped in strangely still girl. _

_The blood that trickled down the shoulder injuries was a richer color then she'd seen of her own blood. It wasn't crimson like human or demon blood. It was scarlet._

_Not realizing what she was doing Hannah reached out and got a drop on her finger. Her body mechanically put it near her mouth. Her tongue flicked out to taste the drop but Hannah immediately started coughing once she realized what she was doing. _

_As she coughed a strange thought echoed in her mind._

'_Good.'_

_She blanched and shook her head arguing against that. She examined the girl further with a sweeping glance satisfied that the other injuries were minor. She backed away from the semi-conscious girl and busied herself around the room mindful of what both parent had taught her. Always help someone in need that crosses your path. _

_After a few minutes the girl had collected things from the small room that would at least stop the injuries from getting worse. She sat cross-legged by the brown eyes small girl and set to work. First she bandaged the head wound privately thanking her mother for making her take those lessons. The shoulder wounds were a little harder to care for but she did her best to stop the bleeding and help set the body to healing itself. _

_  
The night was passing but Hannah paid no heed as she concentrated on tying off the bandage on an injury she'd found near the heel of the left foot. When her patient stirred. _

_A low moan escaped cracked dried lips and a voice blearily whispered, "Am I dead? I thought dead people didn't feel." _

_Hannah looked up to see the fog still clinging to the half lidded eyes and with a grim smile announced softly, "If you can feel that's good. It means your alive.."_

_The brown eyed girl seemed disappointed but then asked, 'Why is the pain dulling?' Her chest was rising and falling regularly now as shaky when she was half conscious. _

_Blue eyes measured the expression of the small girl before her before answering, 'I bandaged up some of your wounds...But that man may be coming back and I have to get back...' Hannah made a move to stand but a quick hand snatched her wrist. Man that girl had reflexes._

'_Please...I don't know who you are but don't go.' A desperate plea._

_Confliction welled in Hannah's eyes. Someone was begging for her to stay? Usually it was the other way around._

'_My name is Hannah...' the blue eyed girl stated awkwardly not sure she should identify herself._

'_Hannah...That's a cool name...I didn't think angels had names...' a weak response and laugh. _

_Hannah opened her mouth to correct her but the sun's first ray shining through the window alerted her. _

_Hannah got to her feet and quickly slipped out of the girl's grasp, 'I'm sorry...I have to go now...I'll come tomorrow though.'_

_Running back to the door peeking in the window._

'_Promise?' a soft frail voice asked. _

_Hannah hesitated for a brief second coaxing the door to open slowly, 'Yeah...'_

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_End of Flashback:_

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"Risa...Let's go inside..." Hannah's voice roughly plead. Arisa nodded numbly and felt Hannah slip her hand into her own. Guiding her just like before. They walked in silence but it helped wash everything out.

"Watch out for the root." Hannah suddenly noted. And Arisa complied nimbly jumping over it. Waiting anxiously for the blurs to start appearing again and the darkness to leave.

"Thank you." Arisa murmured as they traveled towards the house.

"Your welcome," Hannah instantly replied hesitance followed such routine when a tentative question was asked, "did it happen again?"

"Yeah..." Arisa answered wincing inwardly as Hannah stopped.

"I have to let go of your hand now to get the key and open the door so hold on." Hannah instructed no wanting to further comment on the memories that hung between them.

It was only a few moments before both friends were ushered inside the cool aired lobby and then it took only a little bit more prods to get to the upstairs and settle into their rooms.

Hannah stopped after guiding Arisa to the guest bedroom. The unwelcome feeling was back.

Not wanting to scare Arisa the girl bravely pushed it down. Not tonight.

Arisa diffidently fumbled with the unfamiliar covers and settled in, not caring about being still in the ruffled clothes of the whole days incidents. She just wanted to sleep and wake up in color tomorrow. She wasn't ignorant to the emotions coming off Hannah though.

The petite girl could feel the conflicts. Strange hostility, wariness, coldness, and tiredness.

The emotions mingled with her own as her thoughts drew back to the strange two colored gaze and bright flash of light.

"Um Arisa...?" Hannah's hushed voice asked slicing the delicate background of cricket music.

"Hmm." she mumbled sleepily as she lay on her back covers almost up to her neck.

"Did anything weird happen today? I mean anything really outta the norm."

"...Yeah...But can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm really... zzzzz...z.z.z.z.z.z.z" Arisa fell asleep half way through her sentence, the spent girl.

Hannah couldn't help it and laughed slightly. "Of course."

She left the room quietly shutting the door behind her. She rolled her eyes, "Night Risa..."

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	11. Chapter 10 My Brothern King and rival?

Dusk: Chapter 10 : My brother king and rival ? :

Marak winced as he climbed onto his mount. He berated himself for leaving his mount so far away. Mismatched eyes wandered over the torn dark cloak and his legs which each had fine fresh scars open and gleaming in the night. The dark breeches he mourned over one of his favorite pair.

He closed his eyes for a moment muttering a spell and swept his hands over the wounds. The wounds bubbled slightly before healing up and leaving only pale fading bruises. A frown crossed his face as the wound didn't heal as fast as he'd expected. That defense magic must've been stronger then he'd thought.

He bit his lip uneasy at why his magic had not kicked up and defended or blocked this strong blow.

His mind wandered back to that incident.

He'd moved silently in the woods approaching the house where his informative had noted 2 humans were moving into. During the day one of his spies disguised as a plain forest bird had noted there was one female he'd seen. Another one the bird had went to explain seemed male and close to the female. Marak questioned the bird briefly about the girl and gathered other information.

This trip could have been postponed but in truth Marak himself had wanted to solve the crisis hovering over his kingdom as soon as possible. As he'd neared the house he felt two unfamiliar magical presences that both excited and cautioned his magic. He wasn't a fool. He by no means had planned to marry the girl tonight but he needed her at least within the kingdom to shed some sense of hope.

He had continued towards the house in muted silence nature not betraying him but he animals that lived in these bordering woods took great care to avoid him listening to their instinct.

He moved silently with the stealth of an actual creature picking his way through the vast expanse of twigs and objects that littered the ground.

"Man.…I'm positive the garbage disposal was right here..." a melodious female voice murmured lightly to itself. And Marak froze in place surprised he'd not heard her moving as humans are usually nosier. He brushed that face aside pushing back the discouragement.

He moved towards the sound stealthily like a predator and paused as the forest came to an end and the clean neat yard that accompanied the Hall started. Peering through the bushes he saw what he would picture an angel to be.

Soft light chestnut hair cascaded just past petite shoulders and delicate curves framed the young woman's body. Pale creamy skin glinted softly in the night to his vision. Her back was to him and for a moment he considered neatly stepping out and simply tapping her shoulder. He winced at that thought. That would be far too brazen for him. An elf might do that but not him. The girl stiffened as if sensing his presence and turned to face him.

Her pale rosy lips formed a small gasp as she turned and her golden brown eyes hovered over his hiding place. The goblin king felt a momentary flush of confusion as the girl seemed more elfin then he'd realized. He shook off the confusion concentrating on her. Surely she didn't see him...

The bush he nearly leaned into rustled and he pulled back for a moment puzzled.

A small fuzzy rabbit pounced from the bush and landed five feet away from the human. Strangely bold for a forest creature. The goblin king's eyes narrowed and he realized rather grimly it was not an ordinary rabbit. An elf by his guess.

"Aw it's just a bunny." She cooed to it in her soft voice making the king slightly scotch closer to get a better view of this strange interaction. If that thing started to shift back to elf so help him he'd-

He didn't get to finish that thought as she suddenly glanced past the elf and saw what surely must be him.

Artic blue and jaded gaze rose to meet golden brown orbs.

The girl turned dangerously pale and seemed to have stopped breathing. A moment past and he began to be concerned and took another step forward when a sudden burst of formidable blinding blue light rose up and lashed painfully at him.

He bit back a howl of pain and quickly retreated back as the magic forced him to.

He shook his head deciding to ponder on that bit of info later. He winced once more and realized that the magic had struck him elsewhere. Letting the reins go for a moment he unbuttoned part of his shirt to come across a shallow but dangerous wound on his chest. The horse trotted dutifully then suddenly came to a halt. Marak grabbed the reins and absently urged it forward but it stood still refusing. Marak impatiently looked up to see he'd somehow stumbled into the elf's territory and two guards were now looking angrily at him.

He cleared his throat pulling his cloak closer to himself in an effort to hide the wound that painfully stung.

"Mm...Hello gentleman." He began pleasantly.

"What is your business here, Goblin king." One of the elf's a tall rather daring blonde male spat. The other his senior with dark hair gave him a warning glance.

"Actually," Marak began after pondering how he'd managed to cross into the elf territory without encountering the border spell announced, "I'd like to have a word with my brother king."

Both elves looked rather shocked at this but quickly regained their professional attitudes.

"We'll have to send a messenger first." They warned simultaneously.

"I expected as much." Marak boredly noted and relaxed on his horse stroking its strong black neck making the elves wince. The elves still were not accustomed to such creatures. The horse's ears flickered back and it nickered softly making the elves take an involuntary step back.

"Send one then." Marak coolly demanded and the blonde one immediately upon the urging of the senior ran off up the hill and towards the main camp.

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Naswa stood studying an elfin mirror frozen on one image. They'd now established that there was at least one female but where was the second his scouts had heard about?

In the mirror there was a picture of what could have possibly been a female but seemed more boyish. A baseball camp perched on short pull back raven colored hair and a box was held covering its stomach to it chin. The face seemed rather heart shaped and the creature's eyes were a piercing beautiful shade of blue.

The elf pondered its gender once more and then sighing dismissed it as too boyish.

" Nir! Nir!" A rather panicked call came from outside his tent. The lord rolled his eyes and impatiently pushed the flap back.

"What is it?" he asked rather already in an unpleasant mood from all the news that had been gathered this morning. It was just the start of night too proposing it's be a rather long day. The Elfin King realized there was one bright side to this. The full moon was coming up rather soon.

The messenger or crier in question was a tall gangly blonde guard fellow who quickly bowed in respect.

"My Nir, it's it's..." the young man or boy stammered in broken English then switched elfish. Busily wringing his hands his emerald eyes excited and worried all at once.

"It's what? A deer? A goblin? Speak now." Naswa intolerantly gestured.

"It's the Goblin King!" the boy burst out candidly.

Naswa's eyes clouded stormily and he pushed past the boy, "Very well then...lead me to him." He said as steadily as he could.

The boy grabbed his elbow a rather bold move and added in a hurried whisper, "He's at the South side and he's injured, sire."

A satisfied smile crossed Naswa's face. Well perhaps there was another bright sight to tonight.

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Marak dismounted his horse as his arrogant brothern king approached. A high elf for sure with is perfect face, dark eyes, flowing robes, and a gleaming elfin dagger at his waist.

Marak nodded his greeting, "Good evening."

Naswa raised an eyebrow amused at the Goblin King's politeness.

"What is your business here?" Naswa bluntly stated wanting to get to the point. No court rules here.

It was Marak's turn to be amused. Fancy an elf actually being candid.

"I can not just come to visit?" He remarked a small smile playing on his face still shadowed by the hood.

Naswa shook his head, "Your eyes betray you. You seek to speak about another matter."

Marak coughed into his hand politely surprised at the Elf's keen observance.

"Yes...Well..." he looked pointedly at the guards and the Naswa followed his gaze and gave a discreet nod of understanding.

"You may leave us." The Elf king ordered firmly and the guards left without protest wandering back towards the camp, "Now what is it? And how did you even get here?!"

"To the second question honestly I'm not sure." Marak frankly replied smiling to show fangs, "But to the first it's about my kingdom and quite possibly yours."

"If your speaking of brides. I still forbid you to take from my kingdom." The elf king put out resolutely.

Marak rolled his eyes and sarcastically noted, "I won't rest assured try to steal a bride from you. Not when your people aren't doing well."

"Not doing well?" The elf king stated heatedly making the Goblin king realize he'd struck a bad chord, "Come with me."

The elf king gestured impatiently and took the Goblin king to one of the healer's tents that were on the border of camp not wishing to frighten his subjects. The elf king flickered the green tent flap with quick grace and pointed to its occupants.

The goblin king politely looked in leaning slightly forward to see that the truth was much worse then he'd realized. Dozens of elves were crammed into this tent and 3 healers busily flickered between patients taking temperatures murmuring spells barely having time to look up. The Elfin Lord closed the flap defeat sagging slightly in his proud shoulders.

"We are doing much worse then I'd realized..." Naswa mournfully explained turning to the goblin king he became fiery again, "I advise you to leave my kingdom alone."

The goblin king said nothing for a moment realizing inwardly that the elves seemed to be infected with some sort of serious disease similar in likeness to the one that plagued his kingdom. Could this king also be needing a bride to solve his kingdom's imbalance or was it something else that ransacked this place.

The Goblin King strolled back towards the South border where they'd started silently followed by Naswa.

Naswa watched warily as his Brothern king once more mounted his horse.

"There was supposed to be two girls at the manor." The elfin king declared softly his eyes resting contemptuously on the king, "There is only one."

The Goblin King realized the note of warning laced in the tone and looked down to the Elf King.

"Are you proposing that I leave you to her?" Marak asked in low nearly heated voice.

King Naswa smiled grimly and steadily affirmed, "We Elves have had a long history with you goblins but now only the strongest will survive. Perhaps the forefathers set it to have a peaceable end..."

Marak snorted disagreeing, "The forefathers gave you elves beauty. If the strongest survive it will be my people."

"We shall see...Marak Foxears...We shall see." The elf king warned as Marak reined in his horse and it galloped away vanishing in the distance swiftly.

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=) Thankies for those of you who are keeping up with this and stay tuned for the interaction scenes coming up pretty soon. Till next time!

~**002fox.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MIGHT RESULT IN FASTER UPDATE!!!!!!!!**

**P.S- Again... Does anyone know how to fix spacing??????**


	12. Chapter 11 Grudges and Mirrors

Chapter 10- Mirrors and old grudges.

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A/N: I'm trying really quick in this chapter a new technique with added narrator stuff...So hopefully that doesn't throw people off...

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Narrator/Background:

_In an unknown location a simple white wood cottage is set up in a quiet almost abandoned neighborhood. The houses surrounding this one are run down and there sole occupants merely raccoons and the occasional bird. Nestled in that quiet remote cottage is a flower seller, an old woman by the name of Morganna. This old woman is not quite what she seems no. No if you were to assume her as a sweet flower seller you'd be quite oblivious to what lay beneath that façade.…_

_The old woman looked in her late 60s to early 70s a strange age to be peddling flowers. Yet most people shrug it off to her dedication to the plants. If they only knew where her dedication did lie... The woman's glazy blue eyes made her seem almost blind and contrasted significantly to her yellow flower printed dress that flowed to her ankles revealing sandal/shoe mix footwear. The eyes were glazy blue because of the spell that set the disguise. But if one looked closely they'd see a sparkle in them that would help them see what she was underneath._

_.….….….….….….….…._

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Morganna hobbled up the steps of her home panting as she did and hauling her flower cart much emptier then what she'd set out with up the steps. Muttering impatiently under her breath.

"Goodness... next time..., "she huffed as she hauled the cart over a particularly steep stair, "I'll simply go as me and say I'm raising the money for college...!"

With a final grunt she managed to propel the cart onto the white old porch. The woman panted putting her hands on her knees slumping slightly. '_This spell takes too much...Now I really feel old.…So much for being 104 years old...'_

"Stairs.…!" she mumbled crossly and cautiously looked around before carefully opening her door with a special key that glowed and shuffling inside. She only slowed pausing to close the door carefully behind her and take one more glance outside leaving the cart abandoned on the porch.

Stepping inside the house once opened with a strange key was an unusual sight indeed. Solid cold slab colorless walls surrounded the spacious room that would never have fit in such a small house. The walls were coated with numerous inscriptions and various symbols all written in a rich crimson red. Glassy tanks with unidentifiable objects took up a whole wall while a vast library of old leathery spell books took another. The last wall in the square shaped room had a 3 doors widely spread apart.

Between two of those doors was a kind of large window looking in on a cage of a slumped figure. A figure that looked grotesquely human but at the same time not. The figure in that window seemed to be slumped over in some type of endless sleep. Finally on the wall directly to her left stood a vanity with a mirror outlined in rich gold with small symbols all around its frame.

Morganna felt a smile tug on her lips and she rubbed her arms and then the wrinkles began to fade. Wrinkly pale skin led away to smooth cream slightly tan skin. Morganna's smile widened and she covered her face with her hands rubbing doggedly on her face a hum of incomprehensible words stringing from her lips. The hands themselves had turned to the slim dainty hands of young woman and as they slowly withdrew from the face. The hands one removed from the face revealed the one behind the old woman.

The old woman was gone and in her place was a statuesque dark haired with red sheen headed girl. The girl had glinting green eyes of an unnatural color that seemed to be malicious. A smirk replaced where the smile had been. The woman admired herself in the mirror running a hand through her silky hair. A wine colored sorceress's robe garbed her body.

"That's more like it.…" she began to coo to herself when she suddenly spotted something different. She leaned forward gazing at the mirror and her eyes narrowed. A small almost undetectable wrinkle stayed nestled against her forehead. She impatiently rubbed at it but it stayed stubbornly.

A low growl escaped the woman's throat but then she sighed and thought to herself.

'_I'll just have to go steal some more youth later...Pity I had to drain all this young neighborhoods decades ago.…'_

The woman laughed slightly remembering her wideyed neighbors faces as she had frozen them and fed off their youth over time. A painless process for her but an excruciating one for them.

The woman tapped her chin for a moment with a perfect slim finger whose nail was painted a blood like red. She stared at the mirror deep in thought for a moment letting that small problem side. She had bigger things to worry about. A frown marred the pretty girl's face and she reached forward to tap the mirror.

"Oh Crolius!" she called out in an almost sing song voice.

The mirror fogged and a sleepy face emerged from beneath the mirror one that mimicked the creature with the glass cage's face. The face had a crocodile's features but also a humans. A wide mouth and rather small beady eyes that were a beautiful deadly black. The nose was unmistakably a croc's snout.

"Yes, my liege?" the voice huskily said unaccustomed to use.

The woman placed her hand's firmly on her hips, "My dear mirror show me the coal haired girl and my little flower girl."

"Liege?"

"The one your body couldn't handle to crush!" she snarled her green eyes sparking, "I don't ask for much Crolius all I ask from you is a simple task and then you can go free but you always somehow manage to butcher it...

The dark eyes flickered with recognition at those words, ".…It couldn't be helped I was stopped." The mirror completely became distracted from its task but the sorceress was sparked by the argument. Usually the mirror did as she said with no question.

The woman snorted, "By what? The wind!"

The mirror face recoiled in hurt, "No."

Morganna banged the vanity's surface, "Then what?! What I ask you!"

The mirror face was silent in contemplation before it muttered, "I don't know...Something different... Something strong..."

"Something different. Something strong." Morganna mimicked her face mocking, "For pity's sake all I commanded you to do was run the brunette elf over is that so hard?!"

The mirror face shifted uncomfortably rather unhappily. It's eyes flickering with quick emotions.

The woman let out a long breath bowing over the vanity before looking up, "I wanted that dumb elf girl dead. DEAD! But no.…You had to miss her even though she was right there!"

The mirror had nothing to reply to his mistress's ranting.

"And do you want to know why I wanted her dead?" The sorceress demanded nearly barked at the mirror.

"Why?" the mirror boredly or dully asked simply heeding to her wishes.

"Be specific Crolius!" she barked.

"Why do you want her dead, mistress Morganna?" The mirror sourly almost unwillingly said.

The woman's lips curled into a deadly smile, "I want that little wench dead because without her the girl with her would have-" She paused glancing at the mirror which was rolling its eyes.

The woman's left eye twitched and she bit back a roar of indignation.

"Crolius!"

".… Mmm.… listening..." it amended settling itself to look attentive. Key word look.

"Anyway...With her little elf self out of the way-

"She's not an elf." The mirror peeped out.

The woman put on a pained smile leaning forward to gently stroke the mirror with one of her long polished nail's, "What did you say?"

"She isn't an elf. An elf would never go along with a hum-"

"SHE WAS AN ELF! I KNOW AN ELF WHEN I SEE ONE!" the sorceress roared and scratched leaving a long cracked slash on the mirror right down the middle. The mirror's occupant winced.

The sorceress's body was trembling as she dropped her tone to a low scathing one, "She was an elf. Is an elf. And she is going to die, Crolius."

The mirror's eyes widened at this piece of info not quite following her train of thought.

The sorceress turned from the mirror pacing infront of it.

"She is going to die because with her out of the way then there will only be one girl at the manor..."

"So?" The mirror prodded thickly.

"So...With only one girl and both kingdom's suffering from the imbalance spell I sped up a little... They'll destroy eachother fighting for the bride ultimately destroying the to be bride herself in the cross fire. It's brilliant! Although I have to admit I didn't expect two girls to show up but what's one more life lost more or less?"

"But .… If it doesn't matter what's one more life more or less why didn't you destroy the other girl along with her?"

The sorceress froze caught off guard and her tone slightly softening explained, "Because.… I don't really have a grudge on a human girl... I mean she was simply at the wrong place. But those little batty star gazing elves oh.… Those little demons! Those I can be with one more or less."

The mirror sulked not pleased with her logic. The face started to blur and its tone grew dry almost losing its robotic like obedience.

" But I missed running her .…So the elf girl _will_ live. She has too..." the voice seemed to double on itself almost as if arguing with itself.

The sorceress frowned at the mirror's struggling tone and coolly clicked one index finger on it clearing the glass so only her reflection showed and sending the unwilling spirit back into the body.

Morganna smiled to herself, her reflection grinning back, "Oh but she is dieing...Right as we speak, Crolius. And regardless if you finally win over my spell or not.."

The sorceress turned from the mirror crossing over to the glass cage and peered in. The body slumped in the room twitched as if in pain or struggling awake. The smile on her heart shaped face widened like a predators.

"You know the irony of this is that flowers make a wonderful gift to the living or the dead."

The woman's deep laughter echoed lonely against the concrete walls that were the only other witness's to her deeds and plans.

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(A/N)

**Yay! Another chapter out! *pants from writing * **

**shivers Morganna and her mirror were kinda of hard to capture right and this scene didn't turn out like I thought it would but nyeh!**

Hope you enjoyed. Please review and tell me what you think! 

**~002fox**


	13. Chapter 13

Dirty Chicken:

That night past restlessly for myself.. I couldn't shake off an ill foreboding that seemed to lightly scent the air ever since those two strange beings on my property had skirmished against each other..

I prowled the upstairs hallway tirelessly though sleep kept seeking to claim me. I cast anxious glances at Arisa's closed bedroom door the feeling seemed concentrated there. A soft sigh escaped my lips and I resigned that if I kept watch till dawn nothing bad would happen. After all human myths had one thing right; magical creatures didn't linger in the day or at least to the prying human eyes. I tenderly and cautiously inched the door open looking down on my sleeping friend and adopted sister. _'Yes,'_ I thought to myself, _'keeping watch here should scare anything too curious off.'_

With grace and stealth a demoness or a half one anyway could possess I pulled a chair by her bedside and plopped down into it. I groaned softly how it seemed to beckon sleep even louder. Darn those presences! Because of them I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight…Ugh…After all that moving and those piling boxes…' My thoughts wavered but my demon senses made me all too much aware that I was sweatier and dirty from going around in the woods looking for 'Risa and being jumpy from the forest critters. A yawn escaped my control and my eyes fell half lidded. A hot shower or crawling into bed never sounded soo good. I yawned again and forced myself to stretch. _'Focus.. Hannah. Focus..'_ I glanced at the ancient alarm clock poised on the antique nightstand. '2:00 am '

I blinked studying the letters er numbers as they blurred again.. '12: 00 am' they read and I half wondered if I was already hallucinating from lack of sleep .. Despite that nap on the plane I'd expounded too much energy with the car accident.. Another yawn escaped and I bit down on my bottom lip.

_'No Hannah!,_ ' I firmly coached myself, _'don't let sleep win.. You can beat it…yeah..' _

I convinced myself that but after another slow hour ticked by I was at the end of my rope. My eyes I were blood shot from pushing this low energy state to its last. My position in the chair once erect and alert now was slumped and exhausted.

"Come on, Hannah." I heard myself sleepily say, "You aren't going to .. going to… " I couldn't for the life of me remember what I was fighting for or against. My eyes felt like boulders ready to push my eyes shut never to open again. Well maybe.. Maybe a moment's rest wouldn't kill me.. Of course not.. I'd just close my eyes for a couple of moments then I'd be more alert and my eyes wouldn't hurt so much..

'Just a couple of moments. ' I firmly thought and sleep beguiling me agreed.

"Just for a few moment's.." I thought I heard sleep's voice, a rich masculine voice, soothingly claim and then I was out for the count..

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A few moments was over fast. The first thing I heard that jolted me awake was Arisa screaming.

"Wha-," I began my voice thick with sleep and my vision blurry from wrenching myself from the realm of dreams. A hard smack with a firm white material 'jolted' me out of lingering sleep.

"Thief! Stalker! --- " Some other names my brain just refused to comprehend at the moment stemmed from Arisa's mouth.

'Good Gracious! That girl was loud! ' I grumpily thought trying to shake of any lingering sluggishness. I struggled to my feel only to be more viciously attacked by this white blurred object.

"Arisa-" I called out being cut off by the smack of material, "What are you-" another hit, "talking about-" a resounding smack then a momentary pause as the object suddenly broke from the strain and proceeded to rip or explode rather coating me with feathers. I coughed spitting out one feather that had weaseled its way into my open mouth. I coughed again trying to get the musty taste of the snow white colored feather outta my mouth. It hit me then what Arisa had been hitting me with… One of my Aunt's favorite feathered pillows.. 'They are not going to like this..'

"Hannah?" Arisa asked warily already having picked up another pillow ready to be used. I inwardly questioned what damage she could possibly hope to achieve with those things but inwardly thanked the heavens she hadn't got her hands on something.. sturdier..

I coughed again before answering, "Who else would I be?" My vision finally focused allowing me to see the mess the room was now in. Snowy colored feathers blanketed the room. Arisa still in her somewhat grimy clothes stared at me in disbelief and struggled with something.

"Er.. I thought you were … I mean…Um…" she stammered a light blush coating her cheeks.

"Spit it out." I said not a morning person at all..

She gave me a meaningful look then said, "I thought you were the voice…"

"Voice?"

"Yeah," She laughed uneasily, "Last night I heard a male's voice.. I thought …I mean you were in the shadows and in that chair and –"

I held up a hand cutting her remarks off half way.

"You _heard_ a voice?" I once more asserted.

She nodded helplessly , "A guy's voice that was like satin-"

'Huh…Okay… Leave it to Arisa to make a creepy experience into a poetic experience.'

"-and then I woke up and saw a movement in the shadows and thought you were him.." Arisa finished her rambling smiling sheepishly.

I raised an eyebrow making a note to ask her about 'this voice' when we were both in a more stable mood or state..

I brushed off my sleeve only to find out that the feathers were somehow sticking to me... I looked up when I heard a muffled giggle. I looked up incredulously to see Arisa with a hand over her mouth. I raised an eyebrow at her only to see her face suddenly smooth out but her eyes twinkled giving her away.

"Risa.." I started warningly. I really hated it when she hid her emotions.

She failed to hold back her smile and a charmed giggle escaped her lips. "Arisa what's so funny?!"

She grinned and then stated candidly, "Sorry Hannah but… You look like a dirty chicken.." She collapsed into giggles once she got the statement out straight faced.

I huffed to myself still a little groggy, "What are you talking about?"

Arisa, still giggling, ushered me towards an old fashioned mirror that stood atop a vintage painted ivory vanity.

I examined myself in the mirror and privately agreed.

With feathers sticking out of my dark hair and sticking to my still somewhat grimy clothes I looked like an oversized dirty chicken.

Turning a little in the mirror I growled, "Why did you hit me with a pillow again?"

She blushed once more abashed, "Sorry but I thought you were the voice's owner…"

I sighed rubbing my forehead with slightly feathered hands, "I need tea…Honey and chamomile …before I can take you seriously, 'Risa." I said sighing almost to myself as the clock's ancient hands showed it was '8:00.'

Arisa nodded frankly and walked over to the door swinging it open, "Do you want me to make some for you?: You can take a shower and I"ll-"

I held up a hand the headache that was faint suddenly accentuating itself.

"No…No…That's okay I'll do it myself…" I walked past her taking care to purposely bump her slightly giving a generous sprinkle of snowy feathers. I held on to the mahogany polished rail as I climbed down the stairs not quite trusting myself yet. As I journeyed down the numerous stairs I heard a faint humming sound. I tensed becoming suddenly alert. I sniffed the air cautiously glad no one was able to see me doing this action.

Eggs. Grilling eggs... Mmmm... The scent made my mouth water and my stomach grumble reminding me I didn't really have dinner last night... I paused at the bottom of the stair momentarily confused at who would be in the kitchen. I wracked my mind for information and finally remembered that my Aunts had mentioned a housekeeper also tending the house in order by day. My aunts had remarked how the housekeeper was very superstitious and slightly paranoid but could clean like nobody's business.

I looked at myself once more realizing I was about to set a not so great first impression. Well it oculdn't be helped...

I took a breath, pasted on a friendly smile, and advanced into the kitchen. I look back now and realize how totally oblivious I was to the mayhem it would unleash...

---------End of Dirty Chicken Pt 1-----------------

Sorry for late updates but it's slow moving past this writer's block X_X

Anyway to those who reviewed Thankies sooo much!

To Alix: I know! I'm writing! Thank you for the encouragement though! You gave me the boost for this chapter... ^_^

Bridgette Potter

Scars are just actually for symbolism to something in a latter chapter. The story dictates however that the goblin king has some sort of disfigurements... But for another purpose in the story I needed scars... So yeah... ^_^ Sorry!

To ( ) anonymous... . ?

They aren't super girls... Sorry if you read ahead you'll find out what they are...

c.a.s.1404

Thankies for your reviews! ^_^ And yes now we have the villain so now it'll speed up the action a bit!

To all those who are patient thank you and I promise things from now on are uphill er going to get better!

~002fox


	14. Chapter 14 Dirty Chicken pt 2

Dirty Chicken Pt 2-

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~Hannah's Point of view ~

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I swung open the door with my pasted on smile, which struck me as sheepish, and opened my mouth to not alert her by touch, " Good morning! "

The woman whose back was to me had a maternal look about her. Rather plump, fading red hair held up expertly in a bun, serving crisp blue pressed dress that came a little past her knees with an apron atop it, and pink dainty slippers with bunnies on them... Overall a timid creature.

"OH GOODNESS! " she exclaimed jumping slightly when my message had got to her. She still didn't turn but laughed slightly flipping the eggs and stirring them hard with a wooden spoon. Occasionally I saw her reaching for some salt that was placed off to the side, "Good morning to you- " she paused turning to me. I noticed that she had twinkling green eyes that were surrounded by little lines of age. She squinted at me for a moment placing the frying pan down.

She paused and stuck her left hand into her dress pocket bringing out spectacles that made her eyes grow to the size of an owl's . The woman's eyes widened to the size of saucers and she gasped stricken by my ghastly appearance.

I nervously shifted from foot to foot wondering why her mouth was trembling and open and closing like a fish's.. She kept seeming to form the letters Gob—Gobl.. and then starting over again. I took a step forward hesitantly.

"Um... Miss? Are you okay?" I began glancing at her concerned.

She suddenly clamped her mouth shut and got a very different look on her face one that went from terrified and shocked to downright determined. Her trembling hands when to her hips in a "don't mess with me" type of body language.

"! GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN YOU DIRTY GOBLIN! " she exclaimed starting to side step towards the supply closet which held who knew what in it...

I pointed to myself shocked at the word she used and her changed demeanor, "Okay... I know I'm dirty and I might look kind of strange right now... but... " I fumbled with the words trying to explain as she suddenly opened the closet and fished for something while glaring at me as if she didn't want to turn her back on me.

"OUT! OUT! YOU LITTLE FIEND! OUT OF MY KITCHEN! " she shouted bringing out a broom and making more ruckus then I'd imagined a woman of her size would be able to accomplish.

"I'm not a goblin, lady... I don't even know what your talking about! " I protested backing away as she stalked towards me broom upraised...

"... Risa... RISA! " I called out hoping for some kind of aid to escape her from her wrath. She slammed me with the broom surprising me with the force she put into it. I hadn't noticed but she had begun ranting again. ...

"DON"T YOU DARE CALL FOR YOU LITLE ALLIES YOU"LL NOT GET ME! OUT! OUT I SAY! OUT OF MY KITCHEN! " Each phrase she spoke of this gained volume and I inwardly thanked and cursed that we did not have neighbors.

"RISA GET DOWN HERE NOW! " I shouted rivaling my opponents. BAM! Another whack rewarded that cry. I backed away like a beaten animal retreating towards the door. '_Note to self tell Aunts to not hire paranoid people if I survive this...' _ I also strayed to think why Arisa did not hear the chaos that was forming here...

"GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE! YOU HAVE NO PLACE HERE! YOU SHAN"T GET ANY GIRLS FROM THIS PLACE YOU HORRIBLE LITTLE CREATURE! " the woman spat and more words I cannot recall that all seemed jumbled to me as she continued to beat me with the iron handle broom. Why was she ranting about getting girls? ... A goblin creature eh? Girls... Hmm I didn't really see the connection... Perhaps she thought that I _if _I was a goblin was after ...

I froze for a moment forgetting to dodge and got a face full of broom for a moment before stumbling back against the door and fumbling with the door knob to escape this creature... The two auras skirmishing came back to my minds... Those things might've been what she was ranting about and if they were... My friend and I were in danger...' _Great.…_ '

I tried protesting one last time, "Lady... Please! For goodness sake stop! THIS IS MY HOUSE FOR CRYING OUTLOUD! "

The woman gave me one final whack apparently infuriated further at that statement. She succeeded in knocking out a couple of the feathers that stuck to my back. She glared at me presumptuously from inside the house whilst I had fallen back and stared up at her and her horrible weapon...

She nodded curtly apparently pleased with her handy work, " Feh... What lies... you poor misguided creature go back to wherever hole it is you crawled from... " She turned and slammed the door in my face as I got to my feet and locked it.

"UGH! IT IS MY HOUSE! " I roared out upset at being cast out of my own place... Well my aunts place technically but you get the drift. I stood by the door a moment glaring at the door.

"Dumb... Superstitious... Housemaid... Dumb... Crazy... Goblins... " I muttered under my breath not quite sure which I was more threatening with these words. I turned looking at my surroundings depressed. I leaned against the mahogany door going over my options... I could sneak over to a window and get Arisa to let me in... Or risk breaking one of the windows myself which would only get more people mad at me... Or last option I could just let this incident slide go for a walk cool off then come back later when I was in a far more negotiable mood and explain things...

I used my hand to shield my eyes as I glanced upwards groaning slightly as the sun beat down. _Man... It was way too early for this... _ I stretched luxuriously and yawned. 2nd day in England and I'm already making enemies ... _Yay me..._ I pushed off the door and glanced towards the woods. If I remember the map the Aunts gave me from before then there should be a lake nearby... That would be a cool place to investigate and give me time to think. I wasn't sure in light of events I wanted Arisa and myself to stay here but perhaps I ought to give this place a chance. I smiled realizing this would also provide me the opportunity to get back at Arisa. She really enjoyed exploring places and if I saw them first I could always rub it in her face later... Heh...

I glanced down at myself one more time and prayed I wouldn't run into anybody in the woods that would attack me for my attire like the housemaid did. I wasn't sure if the woods were part of this land or not... It was hunting season if my research was correct. But according to the map the lake was near the woods actually past it once could say.

"Well come on feet... Let's go explore." I coached myself and began to lightly jog towards the blossoming orchards that seemed to be the boundary line before the woods.

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_**Short chapter kinda...  But fast update. I really enjoyed writing the scene with Hannah vs Housemaid and hoped you all enjoyed it too! Thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are awesome! **_

_**Well hopefully I'll see you at the next update.… **_

_**  
~002fox**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxHannah's Pov -xxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxDusk xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF CLARE B. DUNKLE's ORIGINAL CHARACTERS OR HER OTHER STUFF.. I DO OWN ALL CHARACTERS HERE THOUGH SO NO STEALING! **_

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I soon grew bored of my lenient pace and picked up speed a little. Cautiously glancing around myself before I pressed past human limitations I progressed. I coaxed a little of my mixed heritage out and soon saw the landscape blur slightly. '_Oh yeah! One advantage of being a half demon is being a speed demon well at least compared to humans.. '_ I thought to myself smiling as the wind's cool fingers pushed back my hair from my face and tenderly and sometimes more roughly disengaged the feathers residing there.

Soft trails of feathers were left in my wake as I zoomed across the landscape and towards the woods. Any bystander would see a blurred form and presume a ghostly apparition and in England that might've been common. Something darted in the woods a distinct sound different from the morning quiet I had encountered. I hit the brakes.. Er tried to anyway.. The result was skidding and tripping over a root that really shouldn't have been there..

"Oof! " I muttered as I fell forward skidding and making a rather messier problem for myself. I quickly picked myself up looking around anxiously if anyone had witnessed that clumsy landing. Luckily it seemed my landing had been unnoticed. I dusted myself off best I could with little hope. My mind was alert along with my heart which pounded with adrenaline. '_What.. What was that?' _

The distinct curious sound echoed again. The sound was voices calling to one another seemingly urgently and softly. Even with my acute senses I couldn't make out what they were saying but it sounded foreign or an ancient language. I cocked my head slightly pushing back impatiently my dark hair away from my ears in attempt to get a better reading. Frowning I closed my eyes devoting my senses to following that sound. I sighed quietly and letting my senses guide me surrendered to my tracking talent. Almost in a trancelike state I started forward following the soft melodious sound of sweet murmurs. My eyelids fluttered tempted to open. I continued forward my sense guiding me as I entered the forest.

I felt the earth distinctly under my feet as I crossed over some invisible taboo. The world seemed to be shifting for a moment dizzying me suddenly. The sudden urge to turn around crossed me. A foreboding subtle feeling hinted in the air. And just as suddenly as the urge came I noticed that the voices stopped completely.

A frail moment of stunned silence lingered in the air but it came crashing down when a distinct male voice suddenly boomed its pitch somewhat frightened and outraged, "A Human! "

I opened one eye wondering if I perhaps I was actually in some strange dozing dream. Three male creatures were in front of me. And I call them creatures because their aura was suddenly pushing and repelling me. Their faces looked distressed and displeased. They all stared at me accusingly; hands going for white strange knives that hung at their belts. I blinked taking a step back further observing their demeanors. They didn't look too friendly and somehow I doubted they would beat me with a broom. They had deadlier weapons at their disposal and were looking at me like an animal whose home had been trespassed.

A single thought ran through my head, '_Oy.. not good…_'

The men advanced forward and I studied them a little more my head trying to grasp what they were. They looked so elegant, so perfect, it was as if staring at an angel with no wings. Instead of eyebrows that slanted downwards like humans their eyebrows slanted upwards. Their eyes were perfectly shaped and with jewel like grays, blues, and greens. Their hair, gleaming radiantly in the sunlight, was varying degrees of blonde. Watching them gracefully move about was making me nervous. They didn't _act_ like humans. They didn't _look_ like humans. They didn't even _smell_ remotely human.

I backed up more and more retreating like an intimidated animal.

"…I didn't know their was another owner of these woods, " I stammered kicking myself inwardly for sounding so shocked. If only I hadn't used that energy to speed glide maybe I could've knocked them out by now and gotten away safely. , "I'll just be leaving now –" I turned attempting to leave; key word attempting.

One of the men outstretched his hand, the leader of the small troop, "Stop!"

My body froze on me suddenly feeling sluggish and binding me to the spot. The other two giddily rushed forward on either side of me upset still but curious also.

"How do you think she got past the border spell?" one questioned in English earning a disproving glance from his companions.

"We'll worry about that latter.. Right now we need to do damage control…"

Another one of them emerged from behind a tree I was just about to pass, this one somehow different. The new companion had dark black hair with green/blue colored eyes a calm serene look on his face.

The other 3 straightened up as if in respect of this man, "Sir!"

The new cohort nodded slightly at them then spoke in a low silky voice, "She was alone. Strange for a human," He paused in his statement eyes resting on my form appraisingly. I fought back the urge to growl at this strange man.

"What should we do ----? " The name came off foreign in a strange language fluid that I could barely catch. The language shocked me though because it almost sounded similar to some characters of my father's language. I inwardly coached myself to wait. To wait and observe what they would do..

The man, gah I don't know what else to call him, hesitated. Emerald and blue meshed color eyes considered me for a moment, pondering some secret motive.

"Let's… Let the Elf king decide…" he mused softly nearly inaudibly which startled me out of my remaining calm and careful. Not only was I shocked at his words but the fact that he said them in English was something to note too. Was he kidding?

_'A king? An Elf.. He did not just say elf.. '_ My thoughts chaotically swirled around each other as some sense entered the picture. Elf would be an accurate word to describe these graceful creatures but it was all so surreal. A feeling of dread washed over me and I had no doubt that if I let this guy and his fellow elves take me to this 'king' my life was probably over. Snuffed out like a candle too soon.. Rebellion coursed through me firing up my demon side in just the nick of time. I felt the heat course through my veins and start to rise up my arm. A smirk found itself on my place. A sadistic smirk and a attitude of recklessness. It was time for them to learn the meaning of trying to catch smoke.. No pun intended.

"As riveting as it sounds to meet your king, elf boys, I'll have to pass.." I carelessly drawled my smirk turning to a full out grin. I could feel the power in my fingers now.. Tiny sparks ready to be released with explosive effects..

One of the boys was infuriated by that remark and dared to move forward towards me. The sluggishness and heaviness vanished in an instant when he made the mistake to step too close..

WHAM! My left fist was doing a sky hook and connecting with his pretty perfect jaw. The fact that I lashed out physically startled the others who took my actions more seriously. The backed off slightly and brought their flashing weapons out. One of them trilled something off in the other language in a somewhat panicked voice and gestured towards the rising sun. The dark haired one barked a strange command at the fallen one. I nearly rolled my eyes at the frustration that appeared on his face.

Who says you can keep a good demoness down? My dark eyes caught their every movement. They were the ones sluggish now compared to my demon speed. Well to make things short it didn't take me long before I had those losers spinning in circle. Well except the dark haired one.. I still had a bone to pick with him about kings and elves on my land!

"Now," I paused licking my dry lips and staring at the elf ring leader who was slowly backing away, "I suppose you have at least an inkling at what's going on..So… Tell me!" I marched up to him making him back up into a tree. He put one hand on the tree's bark to steady himself his eyes glimmered and I thought I caught a note of desperation in them. He winced from something shying towards the tree as the sun's rays bypassed the leaves.

I paused folding my arms keeping my face straight, "What is all this about Elvish Kings? "

The dark haired man didn't answer but rather seemed to push against the tree harder. I growled at him wishing people weren't so always so difficult.

"The Elf King?" He asked in shaky English as if stumbling to grasp a concept.

He was a terrible liar. His eyes darted to past my shoulder then back at me every few seconds.

"No the Easter Bunny.. Yes this Elf King you were coolly describing so earlier! "

"Oh that one." He feigned remembering or trying to his hand now digging partially into the tree. A subtle glimmer seemed to register for a moment.

I took an intimidating step forward. I was growing tired of these games. All this talk of goblins who took maidens and elves, was it too much to ask for just a quiet house sitting job?!

"I'll give you three more---" I paused struggling to stride forward one more time so I could pick him up and push him against the tree he cowered against. My foot caught, rooted in its spot. I blinked surprised and looked down to see tiny plants winding themselves as if they had a right to binding my feet.

"What the-?!" I half asked glancing back at the elf who was by the tree no more..  
_'Uh oh.. Never lose focus on the target.. I forgot Dad's words and now what--?!'_

My thoughts were rudely cut off when some blinding white energy suddenly bashed the back of my head. I say white because I barely saw it coming before I was half way to the ground…

_**A/N: **_

_**Many thanks to all those of you who review. And yes now some interesting interaction. I'm afraid Hannah wasn't cooperating with me when I was writing this scene originally she was supposed to escape but she argued that she wanted to leave an impression so sigh hence this scene.. I have a faint idea where to go from here but reviews are really appreciated and suggestions! ^_^ A little explanation to why the elves didn't simply use their magic against her was because the sun is already climbing in the morning and elves draw there powers from the moon. Those elves were actually doing a last roundabout border check before going to sleep so further explanation to their panic with a human passing the border spell. Please review! **_

_**~ 002fox **_


	16. Chapter 16 Tree Hugger and Suspicions

**Alright! Sorry guys for leaving this story kinda neglected... *sniffle * I was really stuck on ideas and Hannah & Arisa offered no help.…**

Hannah: Well I did suggest—

**  
Me: That wouldn't work though! **

Hannah: *rolls eyes *

Arisa: ^_^; No comment.…

**Anyway .…. Much thanks to our star 3 reviews: c.a.s 1404 always nice to hear from you! Thankies! Spoodles, always with the awesome comments that make me smile. And a special thank you for Princess for making me decide to say to heck with the writer's block. I could never write without you guys so please keep reviewing! **

**So this is a nice longer chapter for you all! Please review, it helps!**

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XXXX Arisa's POV XXXXXX

After a nice refreshing shower the night before just faded to a half-forgotten nightmare. Those blind flashes only came once in awhile thank heavens for that. I thanked the stars for having blessed me with such a wonderful sister/ friend. Humming quietly to myself a nameless tune that rung in my earliest memories I carefully dried my hair taking care to avoid the flower that seemed somehow different today. I fingered it's soft petals gently. I was eagerly looking forward to the new day. _'I sure hope Hannah was okay she seemed quite irritated this morning though she hid it pretty well. '_

I sighed contently shaking my hair out a little making water droplets hit the heir loom golden framed mirror. I watched the droplets, fascinated as they slid down. A strange feeling echoed in my chest as something dark and shady seemed to dwell in the mirror's surface. Releasing my focus on the water droplets I cautiously rose my eyes the center of the mirror. My breath stuck in my throat and my heart leapt up fluttering for a few seconds in that space. I couldn't breathe. The room seemed to severely plunge in temperature.

Honey brown eyes widened in horror at the hateful crimson gaze that corned me from the opposite side of the mirror. The eyes glared at me holding me in their power and taking my ability to breathe from me. My heart stopped fluttering frozen in terror. So much hate was overwhelming. Those eyes condemned my very existence. My body started to tremble and a whimper involuntarily escaped my lips using breath I didn't have. I wanted to shrink or shy away from those violent eyes.

'_Something...Somebody please..._' I inwardly half pleaded too scared to be able to complete my thought. My body was frozen between wanting to bolt and the lack of energy to move. My will started to allow me to edge away... Too quickly my will was suddenly stripped from my body as those eyes caught hold of my own once more.

'_**That's right.…'**__,_ A spiteful voice hissed unpleasantly in my head, _**'Be afraid.… Try to look away, little one. Just try.….'**_ The crimson eyes seemed to darken and the darkness tinted the mirror's once clear surface.

I found myself sliding down on my knees a few seconds later finally being released from the harsh gaze. My knees met the ceramic tiles resolutely unable to hold my weight any longer. My heart found the will to start beating again. The beating pounded in my ears along with the rush of blood. My breathing was shaky and erratic my body trembled as if suffering from a cold spell. _'What... What.… just happened.….'_ I puzzled blinking trying to keep the tears at bay. My hands were sprawled infront of my supporting my weight and I focused on them. '_Those...,' _I shuddered, 'eyes were _.…evil.…'_ Such childish words were the only thing that seemed to justify them.

"OH GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A sing song pleasant motherly voice called from somewhere downstairs, "BREAKFAST TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

My stomach growled on cue reminding me that I was supposed to be down at breakfast with Hannah and meeting the housemaid of this place. Today was the unpacking and negotiating duties of the house day. I giggled nervously at the long uncharacteristic name I dubbed the day as. I needed to get a hold of myself. This place just gave me weird vibes. I'll be fine. I took a deep breath and released it repeating it three more times. When I felt a little more confident I attempted to get up, luckily succeeding. Getting to my feet I dusted off my work jeans shakily and hurried out of the bathroom never glancing back at the mirror.

Composing myself as a stepped downstairs took a little effort and my legs started to feel like jello again. My vision blurred for a moment making me cling to the railing for dear life. 'Please... no ... not again.…' I begged screwing my eyes shut not wanting to see the figure fade into shadows. I panted waiting a few more moments before opening my eyes again. Color and figures were where they had always been, good.

I clambered down the rest of the stairs noiselessly and timidly looked around the house which was far larger then I remembered from last night's incidents.

"In the kitchen, dears!" The motherly voice instructed seeming to have sensed my hesitance.

I took a breath for courage before making my way there. My eyes flickered over the overwhelming elegance of the place. Mahogany borders crisply accented the pale cream wall work and the counters all proudly and properly clean. The cabinets sported their gleaming handles, tempting me to open each one to find out what was inside. The succulent smell of eggs and bacon wafted from farther in. My mouth started watering and I swallowed gravely. Hannah loved bacon I could only hope she saved some for me.

"Um hello?" I asked not seeing anyone upon my entry into this large kitchen.

"Over here, deary!" The motherly voice fondly called guiding me.

Finally turning another corner I saw a quaint table set for three with plates of pancakes, eggs, and crispy bacon. I shut my mouth tightly hardly believing the sight. There was more food then three people could possibly eat on the table. Sitting in one of the chairs with her legs folded to the side like a lady was the owner of the maternal voice. The woman was a little fleshy, her fading autumn hair held up expertly in a bun, and a serving crisp blue pressed dress that came a little past her knees with an apron atop it composing her outfit. At the end of her folded legs and gracing her feet were pink dainty slippers with bunnies on them. I instantly took a liking to her calm demeanor and caring aura.

"Well don't just stand there, darling, sit." She warmly chided me motioning to the chair across her.

I smiled at her shyly before slipping into the chair and helping myself to a glass of orange juice not trusting myself to speak yet.

She beamed following my example but helping herself instead to some tea in a pitcher, "So you must Hannah?"

I swallowed the juice luckily fighting back the urge to spit it out.  
"No no!" I retorted shaking my head, "I'm Arisa."

She grinned chagrined pausing to take a sip of her tea, "Sorry. Then where is she?"

I frowned slightly puzzled, "Actually I thought she'd already be down here. She seemed she was headed here before.…"

The housemaid shook her head, "I didn't see her."

I took another sip of my juice savoring its tangy flavor before starting to slip some bacon and eggs on my plate, "Maybe she decided to explore the house then?"

Inwardly I was starting to get a little concerned it wasn't like Hannah to just skip out on breakfast. She usually had a big appetite despite her model like physique. She claimed to have high metabolism.

" I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she just slipped out for a morning run like her Aunt's usually do." The woman offered. I stirred my eggs around on the plate not buying that and pondering her action.

"Maybe.…" I echoed not quite convinced. I half heartedly spooned some eggs into my mouth chewing on them thoughtfully. '_Hannah where are you????'_

The rest of the meal consisted of pleasantries and questions with half hearted replies on my part. As soon as it seemed polite and timely I asked to be excused with a rushed explanation of unpacking.

As soon as the middle aged woman was engaged in dishes and humming a tune rather vociferously I made my exit. Sliding out of a prior locked front door and slipping off towards the woods no doubt Hannah's first choice. If she thought she could skip breakfast for an adventure she had another thing coming. As her adopted sister I was privy to info most people didn't know about her. Like for the fact with missing a meal she becomes very drowsy and lapses.

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Rule number one my dad taught me- NEVER lose sight of your enemy or target. Rule number 2 = Never let your guard down. Rule number 3 – never give your target or enemy an easy target. Well I failed all three at one time, yay me. I groaned my head ringing uncomfortably from that stunning blow of light? My eyes were shut tightly and there seemed to be some type of blindfold on me plus binding on my hands and feet which would really explain somethings.

"Ugh.…What happened?" I half mumbled not really expecting an answer. It was one of those rhetorical questions one asks after an accident.

"You were captured by the border patrol guards." A voice smoothly answered without missing a beat. It sounded irritatingly familiar.

I stiffened fighting back the urge to growl and lunged in the direction of the voice.

"Ah. Good choice. That would not have been wise." It stated a low mocking tone tinting it's perfection.

I snorted unladylike, the only reason I hadn't kicked them to timbuktwo (A/N: forgive my spelling on this) was because I needed info.

The voice's owner cautiously took a few step's closer to me. Hmm... Seemed like they learned their lesson the first time, don't get too close.

"I'm going to take you to the Elf King." The voice explained levelly and I felt a cool slim hand on my back, "Don't struggle or I'll knock you out again."

"Oh so you're the gent that did that..." I sarcastically stated trying to wiggle away from his firm hold.

I could almost hear the frown in his voice, "Don't make this harder then it has to be. "

"Too late for that, bozo" I bitterly remarked letting him lead me.

"My name isn't bozo." The voice bit back irritatingly.

"Then what shall I call you, mr. I knock out people for trespassing then take them to who knows where."

" Tratia." Came the quick fluid reply. A bit of stubbornness clung to the tone.

"Wait, what? Traceia Like trace ya?" I asked confused and slightly amused.

"Tratia. That's my name." the voice replied.

"So like tree hugger?" I stammered before giggling a little. At least that's how one of the character's in his name seemed to indicate since they mirrored my father's language a little. Tra in my dad's tongue translated to "Tree." I guess in a weird way that made sense since his whole tree and root attacks.

"Trah- Te- ah. " He said sounding his name out for me. I kind of felt bad for him being stuck with that name.

"Okay tree hugger whatever. Take me to you king and let's get this over with. "

I could tell that made him more then a little angry but hey that's what you get for messing with me. Right now since I couldn't do physical damage might as well give him a sarcastic comment as an IOU.

He seethed quietly muttering something crossly under his breath about, "Dumb alien human." Or something like that.…

We walked for what seemed a while with every once in a while a hushed voice, a quiet murmur, and the sounds of tent flaps. Believe me after camping with Arisa so much we both know the majority of "camp" sounds. Back home she even insisted on sleeping on her bed with a sleeping bag claiming it made her feel safer. Weird if you ask me but hey to each his own. Fleeting footsteps ranged from our rights and left making me edge unconsciously closer to my guide. Finally he pulled me to a halt.

"Wait here." He whispered into my ear harshly. His breath leaving my being tingling and not in the good way.

"Like I have a choice." I muttered darkly being helpless to do otherwise.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Arisa's POV xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I frowned uncertain how I got myself into this mess. I looked once more around my surroundings. 'Okay don't panic. Your most certainly not lost. You have a good sense of direction you never get lost! Okay except on those blind days oh get back to the matter! ' I inwardly chided myself focusing once more. I went over to the distinct silver birch in the middle of the sea of tress that surrounded me.

"Mmm... " I murmured sighing exasperated and leaning against the silver barked tree.

'Think...What would Hannah do to get out of this scenario.…!' I thought then realized, 'The sun! Hannah was able to tell where she was all the time from the sun!'

I eagerly tilted my face up hoping for once it's blinding rays would shine and give me guidance instead my eyes met with the dense leafy foliage of the forest. I groaned frustrated at that.

'Great just great.' I leaned against the tree sliding down to sit under it rubbing my arms nervously. If only the stars were out and that big forest canopy wasn't there then I'd be back no prob. Now I'm lost. Hannah's probably back by now and Mrs--- I stopped for a moment noting incredulously that I never got her name. Wait... Wait yes I did... It was Mary. I was cheered that I remembered such a trivial thing in the depression of my surroundings. The trees didn't seem so cheerful now in the center of this labyrinth.

Shivering again the wind seemed to pick up and whistle it's way through the space between branches. _Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to come in here alone_.… I uneasily thought before pushing myself , _"I'm 18 for crying out loud. So what if the trees seem a little um menacing and that the shadows seem to move... So what! I came in here to find Hannah and so help me I'm going to find Hannah!' _

I stomped forward away from my little safe birch up to a big towering pine that made me feel even tinier then usual. I struck it for good measure then grabbed my toe regretting that move.

"Ow ow ow!" I cried out hopping up and down on one foot like an idiot. I winced falling back down to the ground and massaging my aching foot. 'Not good, Arisa, not exactly a step forward injuring yourself."

Something shifted in the foliage to my left out of the corner of my eye. I froze like a deer in headlights struck by the thought of how I had foolishly forgotten that other people... Crazy people might be out here. Like crazed hunters or maybe.… maybe... I daren't push that thought. A little voice inside my head squeezed it out anyway, 'maybe those weird bicolor eyes owner.…'

I bit my lip glancing around for a weapon or a -- ! I spotted a somewhat sharpened stick off the right of my peripheral vision perfect for this situation. Most likely it had once been a branch cut off by a thunderstorm. I quickly grabbed onto it and held it out like a saber.

"Whose there?! " I questioned forcing back the fear in my voice. I think Hannah would've died laughing seeing me there with my stick.

A mildly confused deep voice answered my own question coming from the foliage, "Someone who is wondering the exact same thing."

I frowned puzzled to why this person would not step out from their spot, "I'm looking for a friend..." I cautiously supplied.

"Ah. A fellow hunter?" The deep voice asked it's rich quality surrounding me and making me unconsciously drop my guard. I lowered the stick feeling a little relieved this person at least seemed normal.

"No. She went out for a run earlier and—"

"A run? In these woods? " The voice seemed to take a sharp note of incredibility that

made me step back.

"What's wrong with these woods?'

"Nothing." The voice replied a bit too hastily, "Nothing at all."

"Well have you seen her?" I asked a bit of desperation in my tone. Something didn't sit right in these woods my senses now were suddenly tingling with caution and the urge to flee. I started feeling a little light headed.

The voice seemed to pause for a long moment before replying simply, "No."

I sighed rubbing my forehead with one hand still clutching the stick with the other.

Something urged me and before I could even think about the words they were suddenly spoken, "Why don't you come out where I can see you?"

The voice seemed amused and a little hesitant, "I'm not sure that would be for the best. "

"Why?" I wondered out loud.

The voice edged out a little cautiously, "I'm not exactly in a presentable state, you see I was out hunting and well, " A short laugh, "I'm afraid I'm quite a mess."

I shrugged, " Trust me I'm pretty sure I've seen worse. Come out where I can see you, please."

The voice was icily silent then reluctantly mused, "Are you sure?"

"Positive." I affirmed becoming more at ease now that this stranger would show himself.

"Okay," The foliage shifted for a moment and a rather lithe tall figure started to emerge from the bushed, "Just promise me one thing.…"

I threw down the stick as he emerged no completely calmed though my insides were screaming at me to stay on guard, "Sure."

"Promise me you won't scream."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_**Wow. Big cliffhanger but hey it's an update! Hope you all enjoyed. And comments are super welcome and wanted! Well till the next update I hope you all have a good week. **_

_**  
Hannah: Please review!**_

Arisa: She doesn't own any Clare. B. Dunkle stuff! 

_**Hannah: She wishes...**_

Arisa: ^_^ She does own us though so please no stealing! 

_**~002fox**_


	17. Chapter 17 Mixups and Melee!

Me: *sigh * I said it once before and I'll say it again. Don't own any Clare B. Dunkle stuff...

**Rex: But she does own us.… **

**Arisa: *happy squeal * Rex! **

**Hannah: Oh great... You're not even in this chapter yet and you're already making appearances... *sulks * **

**Rex: Oh come on cuz can't let you have the fun. **

**Me: Shh! No spoilers! **

**Rex: My bad. **

**Arisa: ^_^ She does own all characters and plot lines.**

**Hannah: Speaking of plot lines.…. Weren't you supposed to--?**

**Me: Oh right! **

**If you really enjoy dusk please drop a review to show you do! ~**

**  
Hannah: -_-; That wasn't it... **

**  
Me: ! *light bulb * Oh! PLEASE CHECK OUT SPOODLE'S AWESOME FIC : 4ever and always!  
**

**Seriously do yourself a favor and check it out! =D**

**Hannah: It's good. **

**Rex: You read it! *surprised * **

**Hannah: Yep.…. **

**Arisa: So please check it out! Okay ... Enjoy the chapter now sorry to ramble! ******

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Mixups and Melee! _

(General POV )

Recap: "Promise you won't scream."

Arisa froze at those strange words, her heart beat accelerating causing adrenaline to flood. The figure warily emerged eyes studying her movements. The rich voice before she had identified as masculine but its tone did not do the owner justice. Cloaked rather heavily for the summer season in a dark hunter's garb of the medieval era the figure approached in nimble graceful steps forward. The figure's form was lithe and slightly lanky. A hood kept off any scrutiny of his face. An aura of secrecy and mystery clung to him making Arisa uneasy once more.

"Just who is this guy," she thought her eyes traveling down to his feet bashfully when a gasp caught 'midst her throat. The bottom of the rouge cloak had fresh blood gleaming richly crimson against the sleek cloak's hem. Honey golden eyes were glued to that spot for what seemed an eternity in silence. The figure chuckled wryly, the velvet laugh caressing the night's air.

"Are my feet really that interesting?"

She quickly looked away backing a bit self consciously as her insides demanded to run like mad as far as she could. She was rooted to the spot though by some part of her that was curious. Curiosity was a dangerous thing.

He sighed relieved inwardly to see she daren't bolt, "I can sense your alarm," he gestured to the hem of his cloak and she noted he also wore thick gloves, "my kill was rather .… hard..."

Arisa swallowed the accusations and questions numbly nodding.

He smiled wanly though she could not see it at her mental accusations, they were amusing. _'She's doing well all things considered.… I didn't have to use the silencing spell.…' _he thought.

"So you're looking for your friend?" he asked half trying to distract her from her fear.

Arisa's head snapped towards him, "That's right. Her name is Hannah and she's about this high, " she gestured to her friend's height stumbling over her own words, " and um she's really athletic like.…" She quieted as she realized how that last piece of info had little value in their search. She shifted uncomfortably realizing how intently he was staring at her.

"Hmm... Does she usually go running off?" the man said nonchalantly unabashed from being caught in his observations.

Arisa shrugged, "Sometimes.…"

The figure folded his arms, "I see.…" he replied briskly brow furrowed lightly.

'_The sun is coming up fast... I must get back but.… '_ he side glanced at the girl before him his thoughts drifting, ' _She looks so lost.… I have to help her out...'_ He pushed back his contemplations of just taking her to his kingdom now when she was most vulnerable. Deciding quickly his actions now would perhaps benefit both kingdoms, seeing as now he had just confirmed another woman's presence in the manor, he snapped his fingers a habit of his when he came across a particularly pleasing solution. (A/N: Gah... A really long run on sentence sorry didn't know how to fix this up.… -_-; )

"Wait a moment... Does this friend of yours have short dark hair?" He asked innocently enough. 'Perhaps this is the watch guard that was watching over you before... The same as the box mover?' he added silently in his thoughts. He quickly performed a locating spell surprised that it indicated where the girl was. 'Naswa what are you up to now?!' He returned his attentions to her distractedly as a relieved smile graced the girl's face.

"That's her!" the girl confirmed vehemently.

A grim smile crossed his face, "Then I believe I may have seen her.… "

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**Hannah's POV **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I waited for what seemed to be forever. Needless to say patience isn't one of my strengths.

A slim cold hand touched my shoulder and treehugger boy's voice was once again to my ear, "This way.…" A gentle tug on my elbow since my hands were tied behind as well as the inconvenient blindfold.

I growled under my breath wanting to snap when being blind 'this way ' is not the most reassuring statement. I quickly recoiled from those thoughts remembering how often I'd asked the same from Arisa in her blind moments. But, I added only somewhat chagrined, Arisa trust me while I had little faith in this guy.

My steps were cautious and my ears made use of what sound I could pick up from these people around me. I faltered a couple steps falling, it was too late to rebalance and I earned a one way ticket to the ground. I braced myself tensing my body and shifting so my shoulder would bear the brunt. Surprise flooded me when instead of the cold ground meeting me I ran into a firm solid thing.

My skin had goosebumps as I appeared to have landed on somebody. Fine cloth brushed against my skin and two hands braced my weight so I was in a strange half fall forward. Red started to flood my face and I prayed no one took notice. The hands at my shoulder helped me regain my balance before disappearing from my feel range.

Quick curt words were exchanged between the two in my presence. I noticed the new person had an element of quiet power behind his tone along with a deeper voice. More sure of his authority the new male drilled out quick to the point questions to tree hugger.

I strained to make sense of the mess of their language catching "Barrier spell" "wandering" , "inhuman". Phrases that mounted my frustration. I silently stood there twisting the unusual rope that bound my wrist trying to fray it. My task went unnoticed by the two but I could _feel _their gazes flit to me. A shiver ran down my spine and my power tingled within me warning that I had no energy to defend myself or lash out with.

The questions ceased and suddenly the hand that had steadied me before seized my shoulder making me jump guiltily. I'm not sure how to explain how I can tell the difference between touches of people it's something I was born with. Not sure if it even has anything to do with being a half demon...

"That's enough." The deep satin voice mused it's strong hand leaving my shoulder and touching my ropes.

"Nir?!" An incredulous exclamation of dismay or a question echoed from tree hugger's direction.

"You made more progress then I expected, " the voice continued amusement shadowing its seriousness a finger smartly tapped the ropes, "Another 5 minutes and you would've been loose. "

I could almost hear a smile in his tone but I wasn't positive.

"Nir," treehugger exclaimed exasperated, "what should we do with her?"

The man in charge, or 'Nir' as I had to assume his name was, paused for a long moment. I tensed waiting for what I was sure would be an execution order. I least anticipated the real answer.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Luckily I didn't stop here.…:] ) _**Elf King's POV**_ xxxxxxxx

Tratia blinked staring at me in disbelief.

"Let her go?" he repeated dubiously in elfin obligating me to respond in kind.

I nodded seriously trying to keep the contempt at bay in my eyes, "Let her go where you found her. We would do well not to mimic our enemies or is it, Tratia, " I paused to smile grimly, "You wish me to copy the Goblin King's style?"

"Never my lord!" Tratia quickly retorted shame and realization flooding his features. I patted his shoulder forgiving him in an instant for he was only trying to do his job.

"At ease my friend I know your concerns." I concluded and turned to see the captive's face struggling to grasp our conversation. I quickly appraised her trying to figure out how she'd become a threat to my guards. She didn't look overly powerful more of a slightly fragile look to her. A soft thin white feather clung to her dark silky cropped hair. Frowning slightly and without realizing my actions I plucked it out fingering it thoughtfully.

"Tratia you'd better get some rest. I'll take it from here." I ordered tiredly.

He hastily complied bowing before scampering off towards his tent.

"So it's just you and me now?" the human wryly said shifting in her spot.

"Yes I---" I began when the girl suddenly brought her hands from behind her back slamming one ready made fist to collide with my face.

Confusion, pain, and bewilderment crashed through me. 'Why didn't my defense magic prevent that?!' I inwardly questioned while muttering a quick heal spell on my sore jaw. This was no ordinary human. A human can't pack that type of punch. I was beginning to see this endearing captive in a new light.

"That's for kidnapping me you jerk!" she seethed ripping off the blind hold but blinking trying to adjust her sight.

'_**Kidnapping.'**_ The word stung for some reason. Kidnapping is what goblins did. They were the enemy taking people from their homes and ghosting them to that cursed underground. I was not a goblin and her words nearly labeled me as one.

' _I must right this._ ' I thought crossly.

I snapped into action in before she could adjust fully.

"Rest!" I ordered fluidly sending my captive into a dreamless state. I effortlessly caught her as she slumped forward.

"You... You.…You arrogant—" she mumbled as her conscious escaped her. I shook my head sadly. My senses warned me the sun was rising rapidly nearing its mid-sky journey. I didn't have much time but I was determined to prove I was not a goblin.

I hesitated before picking her up bridal style surprised at how light she was.

I swiftly headed towards the deeper part of the woods shying from the easy human accessed paths. I knew a roundabout way to get her to where she'd probably cross humans. I took a moment to note her appearance more closely.

Long lashes framed her sleeping eyes that hid the angry sapphire gaze from before.

Her skin was a smooth cream color with hints of the sun's kiss. Her lips barely parted were a rosy pink. Her body was lithe and athletic taller then to most human females I'd seen.

Serenity seemed to cradle her as her chest rose and fell with each breath. She was fiery but beautiful. Exotic. My magic whispered as it brushed across her skin warning me of hidden danger. I sighed forcing myself to look away from her and to the path. _'The goblin king wants her too._' I reminded myself darkly. '_It would be much safer if she stayed in my camp.' _

"_**That's for kidnapping me!"**_ Her words burned in me shaking me of that notion.

I did not want her hate and keeping her was sure to be the quickest path to it. I had to give her time which is something I didn't have... I wrenched myself away from those thoughts. I could afford this day.

'_I'll take you back today.… We'll meet again soon enough, __**Arisa**__.'_ I silently thought gently setting her down and allowed my fingers to skim her forehead to erase her troubled memories of the past moments. I glanced back one last time before disappearing as the sun's stubborn rays leaked past the foliage to leap on her sleeping figure.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ( A/N: ) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Wow. So lots of identity crisis happening the last two chapters. Funny how that worked out. Ah but now the action can get moving. Going to try to explain a little before you jump to conclusions. The elf spies alerted him of 1 girl being there and 'Arisa's name was the only one they caught before heading back to report.… So yeah.… That's why the elf king assumes this one is from the lodge and is 'Arisa.' Doesn't have a clue that the other one is at the moment with the goblin king. Congrats to those who figure that out though. So yeah... A little Elf prejudice against Goblins for you. And yes to those who guessed that the sleep scene with Hannah was the goblin king you were right... Cheers! **

**I forgot to note this at the bottom of the last chapter: **

**Tratia = Translated from Elfin = Tree magic . **

So Hannah only being able to figure the first part

**Tia : magic (Tratia = tree magic)  
Tra : tree**

**Hehe I'm rather fond of tree hugger the nickname Hannah has for him... But I'd like to know if you reader's prefer me to when in Hannah's POV to keep it like that. **

**  
Anyway I really hope you'll review and tell me what you think!**

**More reviews= Faster update! **

**Thankies much to Spoodles & Paco! *hands you guys cookies * =] **

**Till next time!**

**  
~002fox **


	18. Chapter 18 Alarming and Alluring

**Okay um so despite popular opinion... I am alive and still working with this story. Sorry it seemed dead for the longest time _ I was really stuck but now I will be plugging away trying to work on this and Shattered. **

**Forgive me for abandoning this story for so long but inspiration and will to work on it fled. T_T I blame writers block. **

**So here is a lovely long chapter to start to make up for this failingly long wait. Please enjoy and review. And special thanks to those who still are waiting and have been cheering for this in the wings. **

**Note: This has to do mainly with the people from chapter 3 (brief and confusing now that I look back at it) I will try to make it understandable... ^_^;**

Xxxxxxxxxx _**The alarming and alluring . . . **_

Rainy days in England can be counted on but meeting with a pair of thugs apparently not.

The sorceress breathed out impatiently making mini clouds in the cool fog air. Where were those buffoons? She traced an abstract pattern on the stone wall next to her the symbols glowing faintly from the power hidden behind her fingers. Clicks of shoes made her turn to see a small group arriving to the mostly deserted area.

Three men all clustered together slowly made their way to her corner of the alley giving distrustful looks behind them.

"Finally," She sourly exclaimed.

The men all bobbed their heads at her in respect if not a little fear.

"Er...So why did you request an audience with us, Morganna?" The bravest asked a man with dark hair and a coarse stubble sweeping his gaze questioningly at her.

"Ugh," She muttered folding her arms and counting in her head slowly to keep from murdering the fools, "I have a simple proposition for you."

The other two perked up at this smelling a money scheme.

She rolled her eyes at the simplicity of these men. All you had to do was offer them money and they were your loyal dogs.

"What exactly be the proposition?" Will asked his voice a little higher then his deeper voiced leader. His shaggy dirty blonde hair feel sloppily over one of his eyes.

"You know of the Hallow Hall correct?"

"Know it? Psh my dear lady we only pass it every day, " the youngest bragged his light tenor voice annoying her.

"Yes I suppose you do..." she drawled boredly glancing at her finger nails while she leaned against the wall, "Do you know of the girls staying there?"

"You mean the American and her little friend?"

She smirked, "Those are the two."

The three men exchanged glances shifting uncomfortably in place waiting for orders.

"I need you to make them uh how shall I say this nicely disappear." She explained her voice nearly purring at the thought.

The tenor voiced one who she never bothered to get the name of spoke up surprised, "You mean kill em?" He made a motion of cutting his throat with his fingers.

The leader, Erin, shoved him impatiently drawling sarcastically, "Course not... She just means to make em go missing for awhile." He winked at Morganna and she smiled thinly.

"Erin," Will warned glancing to the side his voice wary, "I don't want to harm them. Scare them sure. Get money out of 'em sure. But if we lay a hand on them I'm sure those aunties will use their money to make sure we either never get out alive or go back to the slammer." He shivered, "I ain't going back!"

"Course you not," Erin soothed patting his companion, "No one said you were. These things just need to be taken with proper order and everyone can get what they want. We get money which is what we want, Morganna gets her little scam going to mess with the people which is what she wants, and those two will eventually go home safe and sound which is what they want. See win-win."

The tenor voice owner nodded enthusiastically following this logic.

Will frowned but slowly nodded, "Fine."

Erin gave him a patronizing smile before turning to face Morganna again, "So how long will we hold em for?"

'Forever.' She inwardly thought darkly while aloud she sweetly said, "Oh psh not long really just two weeks."

"TWO WEEKS?" The tenor shouted forgetting to keep his voice down earning himself an elbow to his gut, "Oy!"

She scowled at him her eyes flashing for a second crimson, "Two weeks is nothing you little imps. You'll get your reward for keeping them with you just keep them away for two weeks is that beyond your capabilities? Shall I find someone else?"

The three shook their head while the eldest clamped a hand over the tenor's mouth to keep further objections at bay.

"I'll pay you half in advance and half when the job is done." She said trying to calm herself down. Stupid pawns. She conjured a small sphere in her hand which popped like a bubble to reveal wads of cash. She rolled her eyes and tossed it at the eager men who fumbled with it.

"Any specific way to do it?" Erin asked while Will carefully counted the money in trembling hands.

"No...Just make sure they don't know what hits them." She carefully put out retreating into the shadows.

"Eh? Okay. Easy enough." Will shrugged grabbing the his tenor voiced companion away from tracing the strange symbols on the wall.

"Okay boys let's get to work. First I've got a plan... " He proudly announced dropping to a whisper that no one but the two companions could catch...

"Almost there," Marak called back over his shoulder quickly scanning the terrain ahead feeling his tracking spell start to fade.

The girl followed him very quietly for a human making his mind wander once more to the night with the blue flash.

"Do you think she's okay?" Arisa asked her voice worried, she tried to keep pace with her guide.

Marak bit back skeptical remarks on the definition of okay in the company of elves and instead simply turned to nod at her. He carefully made a path for her to follow behind him inconspicuously manipulating the tall grass around them.

The trail was fading fast... Too fast to be normal. Another side effect of his kindgom's waning magic? He gritted his teeth he musn't let himself get distracted.

Arisa yelped suddenly tripping.

Her sound of distress quickly drew his attention and he turned quickly to face her, puzzled.

She laughed nervously, "Roots..." She got up dusting herself off and took a step forward wincing. She turned from him biting down on her lip. Shoot I think I sprained my ankle...

Marak studied her face, "Something is wrong..." he thought sensing her pain.

He carefully took a step towards her, "Are you certain your okay?"

She kept her face away from him, "Yeah. Don't worry about me let's find Hannah." She said trying to keep her voice even but failing at convincing the Goblin King.

"Your hurt." A wry statement made without question. She was a very poor liar.

"No I'm not." She gasped as pain shot up her ankle as she took another step forward trying to convince him, "See?" She bit down on her tongue. Shoot. She favored her left side trying to shift all her wait to it.

His cloak rustled as he was quite suddenly next to her making her gasp surprised.

"Let me see," He patiently instructed grabbing her elbow and directing her to take a seat on the ground. He kneeled next to her gesturing to her right foot wordlessly asking permission.

"I'm fine! Just a minor wound..." She stammered as he quickly rolled up her pants a little and rolled down her socks to examine her ankle. The ankle didn't show any immediate indication of damage but when he prodded it with his fingers, skimming it with his magic, she let out a barely suppressed hiss of pain.

"Sprained." He noted detatched like a doctor. He methodically took part of his cloak ripping a section to use as a wrap. He daren't use magic yet to heal it.

She closed her eyes pretending to not be utterly embarrassed as he removed her sock and shoe carefully wrapping the ankle. Hannah would have two things to laugh about now. Spraining her ankle simply walking and the stick incident...

"Sorry," She whimpered feeling frustrated and vulnerable. He glanced up from his task and shrugged.

"Don't be. It happens to everybody, just some of us more often then not." He smiled within the shadows of his hood trying to ease off her guilt. He tightened the wrap a little before patting it, "That should do for now." He got back to his feet and offered his hand.

She opened her eyes looking up at him and noticed vaguely how his nails seemed sharper then normal. He flexed his hand.

She sighed convinced she was becoming more paranoid by the minute and took his hand getting restored to standing. She wobbled uncertainly and shifted trying not to put weight on the hurt area.

"Please tell me we're close."

He grinned at her tone and gestured before them, "I'm pretty sure I sense her somewhere up there." He froze realizing how his words had come out. She didn't notice just looked relieved.

"Good. I'd hate to slow you down much longer."

Marak shook his head good naturedly, "That should be the least of your problems, my dear." He cast a hurried glance upward gauging the sun's position. Running out of time, he thought distractedly.

"Can you walk?" He asked concerned as she half hopped and half moved forward.  
She grimaced, "Kinda." She flushed, her face embarrassed.

He sideglanced at her observing her awkward movements.

"Hmm...I don't think your friend will appreciate your search efforts if it hurt you." He murmured loud enough for her to catch.

She winced looking down at the ground for a second at that comment, "Er... Yeah... Maybe not... But I can't just leave you to find her."

Marak smiled once more at her assumptions.

"I could carry you," He offered.

She blushed at those words visibly taken aback, "Carry me?"

"With your permission of course," He congenially added.

She glanced at him distrustfully then shyly asked, "I wouldn't be too heavy?"

He laughed at that, a rich pleasant laugh that made her start to giggle too with the contagious quality.

He swept her up into his arms bridal style as if she weighed nothing, "My dear girl I assure you your weight will not bother me."

His thoughts drifted momentarily to how light she was and how comfortable she felt in his arms. He cleared his throat shaking away those thoughts and focusing back to the task at hand.

She automatically clasped his neck for better balance. Her small hands clasped together to reduce her chances of falling.

He strode forward smoothly and resumed the path quickening his strides.

She leaned against him to avoid being jostled and sighed not liking this arrangement her instincts once more poised. Adrenaline started rushing into her and her heart started racing. She glanced up at his face still hooded. Her brow furrowed perhaps she could ease her mind if she saw his face. Would it be more polite to ask or simply act?

She closed her eyes for a moment feeling very silly. Like the heroine in a her favorite film Phantom of the Opera. Such a silly girl.

"Um... Excuse me... I don't believe I caught your name... " she quietly asked hesitating.

He paused, "No... I don't suppose you did. We didn't exactly exchange pleasantries... My name is Marak. And your name, my dear?"

Arisa relaxed slightly somehow identifying him with a name made him less suspicious but the name prickled the edges of her conscience for some odd reason.

"My name is Arisa."

"Unusual name," Marak mused aloud starting forward again, "any special meaning?"

Arisa shrugged, "It's the name my mother gave me. She was uh always unique. Not crazy or anything just unique. She loved nature and when I was real little she told me that my name meant something in her language. I never did find out what she was though before she died..."

"I'm sorry."

Arisa shook her head, "It's not a big deal. I didn't really know her. She died when I was fairly young. Hannah's always been there for me like that though in a strange way a mother figure."

Marak mauled over this new information thoughtfully, it explained the protectiveness the older girl displayed.

He shifted his grip on her as he vaulted over a fallen tree in their path.

"My mother died when I was young too." Marak quietly revealed, grateful for this strangely peaceful moment.

"Oh. Do you miss her a lot?"

He paused once more surveying two paths before striding forward on the left one.

"I think I miss more the memory of her then actually her. I wonder what it would be like to have her now and... Well... "

She surprised him by squeezing her hands around his neck gently communicating without words. He glanced at her surprised by this and noticed the light scars trailing down her arms. His brow furrowed as his mind buzzed with questions.

She seemed to notice his gaze and lowered her eyes glancing off to the sides.

" Your wondering how I got these aren't you?" She muttered almost to herself he could almost feel her withdraw from him the tender moment before them shattered. She was ashamed. Although she had escaped from being a victim she could never escape the victim's marks.

"Sometimes...A captor or a situation holds onto us so much longer then it needs too because we let it. Scars can be burdens or they can simply be symbolic. Lingering evidence of what we have overcome or a mark of shame we enforce upon ourselves." Marak gently explained he looked down on the girl in his arms and added, "Personally I think scars are beautiful. They are evidence we not only survive but move on."

"I never thought of it that way." Arisa whispered her voice shaky as his words struck her heart removing a careful layer that had nestled around her pained heart.

Marak tensed. Sun rays spilled thought the foligage dangerously close to him. His body started to feel the adverse effects. 'No... Please... Not now!'

Arisa looked up at him once more interrupting his train of thought, "You talk from experience don't you?"

Marak didn't answer for a moment puzzled what his tracking spell revealed—Hannah was moving.

XxxxxxxHANNAH 

Hannah didn't know where she was... All she knew was she had a raging headache and was quite fuzzy on what had happened the last couple of hours. She remembered getting chased around by their crazy housekeeper ... something about goblins... Running... and then...

Her brow furrowed her subconscious frantic over the lack of anything following that. Anything that could explain how she got here of all places.

She groaned curling in this dark place. She wasn't afraid of the dark. That fear didn't have place in her heart. What freaked her out was the fact she could hear voices in the darkness.

"Sheesh this girl is heavy!" A light tenor voice complained.

"Nah your just a pansy is all here hand her to me... " A gruff voice suggested.

She felt numb but vaguely felt jostling on her body although for the moment she could safely say she felt quite detatched.

"Gently!" A voice hissed annoyed at the others clumsy movements.

She pondered in her head why she wasn't stopping them then realized with a careless shrug the whole unreality of the situation. She probably was somewhere near the lodge dozing off after her run. Waiting for Arisa to come and get her after talking sense into that housekeeper...

"Will you look at her," a new voice hummed pleasantly, "What a beaut!"

She felt a flicker of annoyance. Okay if none of this was real these imaginary voices obviously had some problems. She sighed exasperated.

"Money and looks this girl has got everything she needs..." A voice tiredly noted.

She ignored them, leave the voices to their game she thought once more trying to puzzle together what exactly had happened.

"She probably gots some rich snobby royal boyfriend too...back in the states." The gruff voice teased shifting her in his arms.

"Most likely," the tenor agreed eagerly, "too bad eh?"

The other two chuckled and her little ploy to ignore them was quickly abandoned.

'That's it!' she silently fumed pushing against her conscience, 'lemme at em!'

"Oof!" She heard one of the imaginary voices gasp.

She smirked obviously something was now working in her favor.

"What happened?" His companions asked incredulously.

"She kicked me!"

"Psh just reflex boys... Carry on." The gruff voice explained liltingly.

Hmmm... Maybe I can...

"OW!"

"Now what?" The middle voice half exclaimed aggravated by the halts.

"She did it again!" The tenor whined.

"Oy must I do everything? Stand aside-," the lowest voice growled, "Erin you get her top I'll grab her feet. Keep the little missy from lashing out again."

I rolled my eyes in the company of the darkness. Idiots.

"IN THE NAME OF CHOCOLATE!" The man bellowed no doubt grasping his stomach or whatever I had hit this time.

I smirked fairly entertained but still mildly confused where I was.

"What a demon!" the tenor sneered snickering slightly at the poor man's misfortune.

"Indeed." I thought mouthing the word maliciously. A cruel smile crossed my face as I concocted other ways to torture the voices.

I wasn't exactly sure what had happened but I knew what I was going to make happen if the voices didn't leave me alone!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxGeneral 

Three men rushed through the thin of the woods nearly out of it.

"We aren't getting paid enough to do this," the youngest of the three complained.

"Shut your trap and help me get her in the back, " the middle one hissed readjusting his grip on Hannah's stomach half hoisting her towards himself as the younger quickly opened the trunk of their vehicle a old dark green SUV. The back seats were well worn and pushed down to allow more space.

With their conbined efforts they managed to get her into the back laying flat on the seats. She stirred moaning something in her unconscious state.

The young man impatiently pushed a blindfold into the older man's hand, "You do it Erin...She hasn't hurt you yet."

"Oh for goodness sakes..." Erin muttered sheepishly approaching the passed out victim.

"Sorry miss," He muttered under his breath carefully tying the blindfold around her eyes. He backed away quickly not pressing his luck, "There we're done."

The eldest rolled his eyes, "Not yet. Tie her down. No sense in risking her getting away from you two." He procured ropes from the near front of the vehicle.

The two fumbled with the ropes trying to tie her in a secure position.

"Oy. Must I do everything, amateurs?" Will groaned shoving them aside and completing the task himself.

The three men surveyed their handiwork, it would have to do.

"Hey..." Erin half asked prodding Will in the shoulder, "What are those symbols on the rope for?"

"Eh? Oh those... Erm ... Don't know myself actually Morganna said it was an extra precaution."

"Against what?" The youngest asked slamming the trunk door shut.

"I don't know you talk to the superstitious old biddy and save me time!" Will darkly threatened.

Erin held his hand up in defense, "Okay okay! WE good to go then?"

"STOP!" A voice suddenly cried two figures appearing on the fringes off the clearing just emerging from the woods.

The owner of the command was a hooded figure carrying a petite girl in his arms heading right towards them.

"Shoot we've been spotted," the tenor voice murmured flexing his hands inching them towards his pocket.

"Not yet!" Will harshly declared turning to face the two newcomers.

"Will... Isn't that the other girl?" Erin muttered softly as the two came to a stop before the 3 men.

"So it is." Will softy whispered almost to himself, "Well time to cut our losses boys. We'll leave her for another day..."

"Why?" The tenor demanded a bit too loudly.

"Excuse us gentlemen but I believe you have 'someone' that doesn't belong with you," The hooded figure asked his tone authorative and calm.

"Sir I have no idea what your talking about." Will politely answered.

Arisa stiffened, "YOUR LYING!"

"Ah ah ah. Calm down young lady we are just three innocent hikers and your raising your voice & jumping conclusions way too fast." Will chided shaking his head.

Arisa bit her lip not liking the men one bit. She shifted in Marak's hold. M

Marak put her down letting her half lean on him for support as she jabbed one finger towards the van. Marak half raised his hand towards the van trying to concentrate. He confirmed Hannah's presence in the car and quickly calculated a plan. The sun's rays streaked thorugh the thin foligage faster and faster galloping greedily towards the vulnerable king.

"We saw you put her in the back!" Arisa accused.

"Oy a bold claim, little lady." The tenor boasted leaning against the back of the SUV accidentally setting the alarm off making him jump back.

"WHO SET THAT ALARM ON?" Erin roared clutching his ears in agony.

_** And... Cut! Sorry readers at this point I'm kinda eh how you say mildly stuck. I got action rolling but it wants to roll on without telling me where its going. ^_^ Anyway hope you enjoyed and comments are always welcome and super duper appreciated! **___

_** Any name suggestions for the youngest? I realized I never gave him a name. Preferably English sounding one?**_

_**Thanks so much for those who kept hope in this story. I am back on it to stay! **_

_**~002fox**_


	19. Chapter 19 Decisions Decisions

**Oh my gosh I updated two stories in one day yay me! Er.. I mean sorry for being so late in this update. Life has kept me super busy. I am making a goal to update more frequently as I am torn between three projects on ff and of course dozens more outside of ff. Anyway I'll get on with it.. **

**Here is another chapter of Dusk! I don't own Clare 's stuff aka idea of goblins and elves etc. I do own all characters I created here and this plots. So no stealies please! **

**-002fox**

**Decisions.. Decisions…**

**Recap: Who turned on that alarm! **

**Marak POV-**

**I grimaced the alarm wasn't exactly what I had been aiming for. I aimed for all the doors. Hmm it seems the sun's presence was starting to affect my magic. I had to hurry. **

**One of the human males darted for the van perhaps intending to drive off. **

'**Uh uh uh' I thought flicking my hand at my side the van's driver's door he reached for suddenly flew out hitting him soundly. **

**The victim groaned and slumped over. The other two hesitated, looking incredulously at their downed companion. **

"**What the devil? " One of them murmured going to check on his companion and shaking him. **

**The remaining man smiled at us nervously, "oh heh.. I'm just.." **

**My spirited young companion spoke up, "Give Hannah back or I'll .. I'll.." She puffed herself up glaring at him. **

**As endearing as her little tirade was I think the male was hardly feeling threatened. A call for intimidation was in order. **

**I fixed him with an icy glare my eyes flashing. **

**He stumbled back clearly spooked. **

**The two companions were still preoccupied. **

**I stepped forward gracefully, on arm wrapped steadily around Arisa's waist as we advanced. **

**The young man's back collided with the van's trunk and I detected movement from inside. Hannah must've woken from the noise. **

**A sun's beam hit me square in the chest leaking form the foliage. **

**I yelped shrinking back from the blow hauling Arisa with me. She opened her mouth to protest, just as another ray snuck through hitting my left shoulder. I bit down hard to keep another pained cry from escaping my control. **

**Arisa's golden eyes studied me sensing my distress, "What is it, Marak?" **

**I intended to answer but the fool who'd backed into the van saw his escape. He darted nimbly towards the passenger seat yelling something about outrunning the devil himself. His companions scrambled after him into the car. The engine coughed trying to start. **

**I groaned. I had to stop them! I tried to step forward but the sun's rays once more triumphantly passed through the foliage searing my being. I moaned back tracking like a wounded animal. **

**Arisa looked at me alarmed and bewildered her voice pounding in my ears, "Marak! What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" **

**The car engine continued to stall and stutter being bullied to life. **

**My sight blurred and the wounds were coming distorted. The car's engine was a loud rumbled of thunder in my ears. **

"**The.. the.. sun.." I whispered weakly drawing as much of my cloak over me as I could. **

**Arisa's golden eyes stared at me confused darting from me to the van that was still stalling. **

**She was torn between helping me and getting her friend. **

**The back window of the van shuttered and a figure inside rammed it. **

**The sun leaked menacingly coming towards me.  
IU had to get out of the way! I felt my arm flex around her waist. I was holding her back but I'd need her to get back into the shadows. **

**The back van window shuttered again, the trapped figure desperately trying to escape. **

"**Arisa-" I began letting my arm slip from around her waist. The sun blazed mercilessly and my body couldn't stand much more. I was surprised when she closed her eyes leaned against me and helped support my wavering frame. **

**I was stunned when she started to bring us to the shadows turning her back to the van. **

'**Arisa…' I thought silently astonished to no end at her choice, 'She's helping me over her friend?' **

**Arisa's voice was quiet and strong, "I've got the license plate memorized … Hannah can hold on a little longer, "She didn't look at me but added softly, "but it doesn't seem you can." **

**We reached the cover of the shadows just as the van roared to life and squealed rapidly making its escape. **

**Arisa turned at the last moment her hand outstretched to the car's trunk. **

**A half choked cry escaped her that nearly broke my strong heart. **

"**HANNAH—" **

**The van's back window suddenly shattered. **

**I blinked. I hadn't done that…. **

**-Hannah Pov-**

**Waking up to an annoying high pitched noise wasn't the best wake up call but it wasn't the worst either. **

**I groaned trying to reach up and feel my pulsing head only to find my hands bound to my side. I experimentally tried to push against the bind only to receive a nasty shock. So that move wasn't an option. I took a deep breath as I tried my legs I still received an unpleasant shock and I rolled over surprised when this didn't result in pain. **

**Alright now I had something to work with. I rolled over straining to see through the dark glass windows. I got a quick peek of figures and I thought I saw Arisa leaning against a guy that looked like he was in a reaper's costume. **

**I growled frustrated. Not only had I mysteriously been kidnapped but in that small time Arisa had made a strange friend (possibly the one with the energy flashes before) but it also seemed they were trying to rescue me. **

**I didn't do the whole damsel in distress thing. I did the rescuing! I rammed my shoulder into the back of the van. C'mon open you stupid thing!  
I panted steeling myself. I had a little above the human strength naturally the door wouldn't be able to last forever. I rammed against it again and again spurred on by the muffled conversation and yells. **

**Sweat beaded my head. I can do this!**

**My shoulder was soon and my body groaned in protest. I closed my eyes throwing myself again at the trunk door. **

**A new noise greeted my efforts a door in the upper part opening. **

**My heart quickened had Arisa and her friend gotten through my kidnappers. My reason protested they'd enter through the front. Ice clutched my stomach, the unusual feeling of fear when a voice called out. **

"**Quickly we must outrun the devil himself!" The voice was clearly afraid. **

**I doubted Arisa had struck that in him. Wait.. Nope never mind. I'm 95% sure. She could sometimes scare you but in this case the male's cry clearly indicated the devil as a guy. **

**I doubled my efforts on the van trunk as I heard keys jingle and the car cough and sputter. **

**What had happened? Why wasn't Arisa or the Grim Reaper stopping him? **

**My stomach dropped something must've happened! Familiar anger encompassed me. If they had hurt my girl…I rammed into the back door again this time denting it. **

**When I got out heads would roll!**

**The van suddenly roared to life and I was thrown towards the front as they hit the pedal accelerating. **

'**No!' I thought upset as I tried to get to the back but the acceleration and gravity made it near impossible. **

"**HANNAH!" I heard Arisa call her voice somewhat choked. **

**I was surprised when the windows shattered coating the van's lower back floor with tiny glass daggers. **

**Great.. what the heck had done that? **

**The van hit a number of bumps in the road and I was tossed towards the ceiling. I winced at the contact and was propelled towards the trunk door. Everything seemed set on cutting me with the diced glass pieces. I closed my eyes bracing myself for the pain.**

**The van tilted up suddenly venturing uphill. Unfortunately and fortunately for me I was still airborne- I went out the back window. **

**Even today I don't understand how it happened. **

**Out the window I sailed and landed hard on the country road. I groaned my body reaching a limit of abuse. I hurriedly turned to see if the van had stopped but it had continued on. My absence hadn't been detected. **

**I sighed in relief to a measure free. I squirmed in my bonds next task to get free from them. I wigged in my restraints that still smarted and gave up. **

**For a moment I lay in the road simply taking a breath. Think Hannah how to get these stupid ropes off me and get home. **

**I had forgotten entirely of course I was lying in the middle of an open country road. A fact I probably wouldn't have remembered had that blue rental SUV come racing up the road right on course to where I lay. **

** Crud.**

**xxxxxxxxx-**

**Good? Bad? Rushed? Review please! **

**-002fox**


	20. Chapter 20 New face and New problems

**New Face and New problems!**

-Hannah POV-

"Crud," I muttered best I could through the gag.

The blue suburban van slowed down but I closed my eyes waiting for the pain of whatever accompanies when you get car.

I heard the vehicle screech to a stop and a door squeak open. I kept my eyes shut and silently prayed for a nice local to have found me. Footsteps drew closer to me.

"And I thought I'd seen it all," a semi-low familiar voice uttered, "Well looks like you've gotten yourself into quite the predicament, Hannah."

I slowly opened one eye at the remark. I could count on one hand that people who know my name. Instead of a concerned and puzzled local I was staring at one of my shall I say closer enemies.

Blue eyes that nearly paralleled my own stared down at me twinkling with amusement. Dark somewhat spiked hair stuck out against his pale skin. His eyebrows though instead of a regular human's slanted upwards, it was a weird stand out trait of his.

His canines showed distinctly as he grinned down at my predicament.

I mumbled something into so complimentary into the gag. What the heck was he doing here?

He cupped one of his pointed ears to me blinking innocently, "What was that cousin? I'm afraid I couldn't quite make that out."

I growled animalistically struggling more in my binds. When I had requested help this wasn't what I had in mind.

"Hmm..Your demon must be a bit rusty because that is most certainly not the way you ask for help," He smartly commented.

I rolled my eyes before glaring at him pointedly.

He sighed annoyed by my reception, "Is that anyway to treat your favorite cousin?"

He was far from my favorite.

He knelt next to me tapping his hand the ropes then retracting his hand, "OUCH!"  
He stared at his hand studying a small burn mark in the palm of it.

"Hannah-" he started his voice disapproving.

"I didn't do that!" I protested my words muffled through the gag.

He sighed frustrated, "I can't understand you… Hold on a second, " He reached over and yanked off the cloth gag painfully.

"OW!" I screeched the back of my neck feeling the most sore from the abuse, "You couldn't have been a little gentler?"

He poked the gag experimentally before sighing, "Sorry I didn't know if it would react like the ropes did. Plus I was hoping to avoid you yelling and trading insults."

He got off his knees and dusted his dark washed jeans before putting his hands to his hips once more surveying my predicament.

"Hmmm… Human runes on the ropes. Who on earth did you upset this time?" He grinned slightly at his own words. Of course he'd assume it was my fault. I busily tried to loosen the ropes patiently trying to fray the stubborn material.

"I didn't meet anyone to upset," I scoffed as he continued to simply watch my actions, "Are you going to help me or not?"

He clicked his tongue letting a nonchalant shrug roll from his shoulders, "Wish I could little cousin, but that rope burns me so I'm thinking no."

I stopped my efforts, surprised, "You are going to leave me like this?"

He held up one hand the other clutched his paling dark blue tee, "You think I'm that heartless? Nah Hannah I'm going to take you back to the Lodge and-"

"Lodge? You know where we're staying at?" I said trying to keep my anger in check and voice even. My temper made a surprise recovery. A sneaky suspicion started to become a reality.

He suddenly looked embarrassed, "Well you know I know you hate too much room so I figured-"

"Arisa told you didn't she," I said flatly cutting to the chase.

"Yeah," He at least had the decency to smile sheepishly at my bluntness.

I sighed exasperated apparently I wasn't free even of him during vacation, "Just help me get in the car…"

He carefully picked me up avoiding the ropes and got us to the car. He hesitated at the car's closed side.

"You didn't think this through," I muttered thinking typical Rex.

"Hey now hold on I got this." He quipped shifting me to one arm and quickly throwing the door open with his other. I tried not to think begrudgingly how strong he was to balance me with one hand.

'Stupid half water demon cousin…' I thought rebelliously in my mind realizing I would owe him one now. He helped me get situated in the gray leather seat and perhaps more snug then necessary tightened the seat belt.

"There comfy?" He asked.

I flashed him a fake smile, "Very."

He shut the door and climbed back into the driver's seat glancing in the rear view mirror to my face, "Your upset?"

I laughed at how well he knew me, "Oh yeah but right now I just hope that Arisa made it back okay.."

"She wasn't at the Lodge when you got into this trouble?"

I sighed again thinking back to all the events that had happened including the part that was suspiciously blanked out, "She was with someone when this all happened."

"Someone?" Rex prodded glancing once more to the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed slightly.

"I couldn't see him clearly," I admitted still thinking back to the glimpse I caught and the suspicious cloak, "a man in a dark cloak of sorts.."

The car lurched forward and I realized Rex had put the pedal to the medal!

"You left her with someone that suspicious but you won't let me be alone with her," He scoffed, "What kind of judge of character are you?"

It was a rhetorical question but I felt stung nonetheless.

I wiggled in the ropes, "Well I was kinda busy getting kidnapped so I couldn't exactly interrogate him.."

The car slowed down thankfully and Rex flashed me a somewhat apologetic look, "Yeah…What is up with that? I didn't think you did the whole kidnap scene."

"I don't," I protested once more writhing in the ropes, "Dang these are tight…"

"Well hold on a little longer we're almost there."

I leaned a little in my seat to peer out the window at the flashing scenery.

"Um I'd rather you slow down and I make it there alive."

Rex grudgingly slowed down a little bit but grumbled under his breath.

I watched the window turn from a blur of colors to a blur of silhouettes. I settled back in the chair resigning myself to the care of my cousin.

I grumpily noted that Arisa would be pleased…

-Arisa POV-

"Better?" I asked helping him sit in the shade of the back porch.

Marak nodded still seeming to fight some pain.

I frowned looking up at the leafy boughs of the surrounding trees now letting some sunlight leak through playing with the sunbeams themselves.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Water or-?" I started to stand but Marak seized my wrist tugging me back down to sit near him.

He smiled faintly at my words, "No.. I'm good just stay with me please.."  
I felt my cheeks warm slightly at those words and felt myself unsteadily answer, "O..Okay.."

We sat down in awkward silence for a moment and I slowly glanced to the side and found him staring at me intensely.

"why did you do it, Arisa?"

I physically started my eyes widening a little at his desperate tone. His mismatched eyes tugged at something in the back of my mind. I had seen them before..

"Why did I-?"

"-Leave your friend and help me. I'm a stranger to you am I not?"

He said the words flatly almost detached. I glanced away from him a little troubled because he was speaking the truth. I didn't know him, I'd just met him today…

The mismatched eyes he had once more tugged on my memory and I tried to think of where I'd seen them before I realize he was still waiting for my answer.

"Er well," I fidgeted in my seat my cheeks turning pink again, "its like I said earlier Marak…Hannah's tough.. she'll come back.."

I quickly added in my mind, 'She has too..'

He sighed slowly getting to his feet, "I'm sure you are right," Marak drawled a slight tired smile on his lips, "she is very strong and so are you."

I stared up at him confused at his words. He extended his hand to help me up.

Me strong? The two words were never to meet. If I was strong my father wouldn't have—"

The screech of tires drew me out of the surreal moment and made Marak stiffen. A car door slammed.

"Arisa!" A warm and familiar voice called in 'his' silky deep voice. My heart skipped a beat. Could it be possible he was here?

Mark seemed frozen like a deer in headlights standing on the back porch as the voice got clearer and its owner turned the corner, sighting us.

I couldn't believe he was here but there he stood!

My favorite pair of dark blue eyes met my own and for a moment the universe seemed to hold its breath. We ran to each other and I didn't catch the pained look on Marak's face as we embraced. Rex wrapped his arms possessively around me and I felt safe, home. I looked at him in wonder and joy.

I couldn't believe Rex actually came here!

I didn't hear Marak's heart starting to break when Rex tilted up my chin and kissed me.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx-(A/N: _)

**So new character.. Tell me what you think please! Any questions or comments about unclear things review :D I really appreciate the feedback.**

**~002fox.**


	21. Chapter 21 Who and What

_**.Sorry ! This update is waaaaay late I actually had it handwritten and just couldn't get around to typing it. On the Brightside the following chapters should be faster updates cause I have an idea of where to go from here and we're burrowing more into the main plots ^^; To those still reading this thanks a lot and I promise I am determined to finish this story ;;; Please let me know what you think of this. Thanks! **_

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Who and What 

(Rex) I was feeling much more relieved kissing my girl. The separation had really made me anxious. I eagerly pressed against her soft pink petal lips memorizing them all over again. The sensation was woefully cut short when I felt a sudden vice grip on the back of my shirt and was quickly pulled away from Arisa. A yelp escaped my control as I stumbled back under the strong grip. My surprise faded to annoyance and I questioned who had the gall to ruin my moment!

I turned to face the interrupter more than ready to give them a piece of my mind when I was met with the angry gaze of my dearly beloved cousin. I smiled sheepishly at her angry face and shrugged in her grip.

"W-What? I missed her!"

Hannah sighed exasperated and shot me a dark look, "That doesn't mean you have to smother her with kisses! Let her breathe dang it!"

I sweat dropped at her blunt speech laughing lightly at that, "S-Sorry." I offered only half apologetic. She growled and tossed me carelessly aside. I fell hard unable to catch my balance. I scrambled to my feet turning to see Arisa had quickly now latched onto Hannah and was hugging her tightly.

"Hannah I'm so glad your safe, " Arisa gushed her tone trembling sincerely.

"Yeah me too, " Hannah said her tone gruff but holding her best friend carefully.

I had long since learned not to question those two's bond it was a very strong sister like bond at times and at others a parent-child relationship. Right now it seemed Hannah was slipping into Parent mode quietly reassuring Arisa that she was unharmed.

I smiled softly at their display it amazed me how they had become what they were, how they'd both helped each other.

A slight shift of movement suddenly diverted my attention and I zerored in on it, A cloaked figure slowly rose to its feet.

I brushed past the two girls pausing to stand before it. My magic sizzled in its presence warning me it wasn't human.

"And you are-?" I calmly asked keeping my hands to my side. This must've been the cloaked friend that Hannah and hinted to earlier trying to help Arisa rescue Hannah.

The stranger regarded me warily noticing my stance and my somewhat different physique. My short dark hair didn't bother masking my semi-pointed ears.

He finally answered my question after is quick appraisal of me, "Marak."

A name meant little to me though it pricked at my subconscious. I dropped my voice low so the girls wouldn't hear, "I meant "what" you are not who…"

He tensed for a moment regarding me warily me warily once more.

I patiently watched him my magic gathering together in case he turned hostile. I was amazed at the strange magic that seemed to gather around him eager for his use.

He simply descended into silence for a long moment before speaking once more with his rich tone, "I could ask the same of you…"

I grimaced becoming uncomfortable with the strange magic around him. He took my lapse of silence in stride.

"Are you..a human-elf cross?"

I was shocked by his guess even more so that he knew of elves just what was this creature? Elvish traits seemed faintly coming off him but yet… And if he was part elf what the heck was he doing out in the day?

"I'm part elf yes, " I said slowly not sure telling him the other half of me was demon was a good idea. He seemed to tense at that, "but what of youself~?"

He fell silent once more his hesitance unnerving me.

A sudden hand on my shoulder yanked me from my interrogation.

"Rex," My girlfriend's warm friendly tone called making me turn, she strolled over to us gesturing to the cloaked figure, "This is Marak."

I smiled faintly, "I know, we introduced ourselves."

The cloaked figure eyed me warily at my words or perhaps more my subtle tone.

All four of us stood awkwardly for a moment. Hannah cleared her throat feeling perhaps the most unnerved, "W-Well this has been an eventful morning.."

Arisa nodded in agreement then gestured inside, "Shall we head in-?"

I sideglanced at Marak feeling him tense slightly.

"Yeah," I added pleasantly conversationally, "Its much cooler inside and dark so you can take off that hood.."

Marak laughed lightly surprising me apparently sensing my intentions, "It's a nice day outside…I'd like to enjoy it a little longer~"

I almost snickered at his cover-up.

Hannah seemed to let it slide and looked to the forest, "It is a nice day," She quietly agreed.

"Mhmm~" Arisa murmured following Hannah's gaze to the forest that moved slightly as wind started to pick up. A small wind chime on the porch sang as the wind gently stirred it into action.

Marak seemed apologetic next bowing his head slightly, "I'm afraid I can't stay longer.. I'm glad you got your friend back," he paused seeming to direct most of his comments to Arisa though he spared Hannah a glance, "I'll take my leave now."

Hannah took all this in stride, "Okay.. Well thanks for all your help." She tucked a stray dark strand behind her ear her dark blue eyes studying him.

"Do you need a ride somewhere?" Arisa offered.

Marak seemed to think about it for a long moment before hesitantly nodding.

"I'll take you," Arisa offered apparently forgetting her hurt ankle.

"You are not driving with that," Hannah said flatly disapproval coloring her tone and pointing to the ankle in question.

Arisa waved a hand, "H-Hey its not the foot I drive with!"

"Arisa.." Hannah growled frowning lightly.

"Please," Arisa begged, "I promise I'll be careful! I promise! Besides he helped me so why shouldn't I help him?"

Marak chose to stay silent at that unsure or plotting something. I decided I'd intervene.

"Hey girls I've got a simple solution for this I'll give Marak a ride back boom problem solved," I clapped my hands satisfied at this solution, it'd give me time to interrogate him.

Both girls didn't seem satisfied by that if their looks were any indication.

"Rex your probably tired from your flight you can head inside I'll be right back, " Arisa assured me.

"Yeah Rex you must be tired!" Hannah said not too eager to have me alone with this stranger her eyes cautioned me. Do not engage this stranger her message seemed to be.

I smiled slightly at that so she did feel this stranger's magic.

Arisa took advantage of this distraction and quietly slipped to the car.

Marak glanced between my cousin and I then almost unwillingly to the car where Arisa was getting the car ready.

Hannah turned to the car and snapped, "Arisa get out of there! There is no way you're driving with that injury!"

Arisa poked her head out the open window pouting adorably, "Hannah~come on let me do this."

Hannah folded her arms, immovable on this manner. She raised an eyebrow at Arisa's tactic.

"Please~" Arisa nearly begged losing the pout face but remaining sincere.

Hannah turned to Marak, "How.. far away do you live?"

I almost dropped my jaw this was the closest I'd seen Hannah giving into a demand.

Xxxxxxxxx 5 minutes later xxxxxxxx

I stared in disbelief at the back of the SUV (my rental). My cousin was actually letting 'my' girl drive some stranger to his home? Apparently I'd stepped into an alternate dimension.

"You're letting her go?" I said dumbfounded.

"Y-Yeah- no." Hannah said sarcastically turning away from me and heading towards a small garage I hadn't noticed.

I followed after her curiously, "Then?"

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not blind Rex I felt that strange magic oozing from that guy.. We're going to follow her!"

I smiled at that, "Just in case?"

She grunted hauling out a somewhat ancient motorbike with a side car, "Get in."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxMarak's POVxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I knew I shouldn't do this. My thoughts wandered distractedly plans quickly being set in my head. I glanced at Arisa offering directions quickly when needed.

I thought back to Heyzel's remarks and my plans cemented. I would be taking Arisa back to my kingdom, as soon as she stopped the car I'd put my plan into action.

I glanced at her inwardly wincing, she'd hate me.

Here she had a lover and a bestfriend/sister from what I had observed…I would be taking her future. But my people needed a queen and I needed a wife… Going over what I observed of her I knew she'd make a fine wife. I could only imagine what a son we'd have.

I just.. prayed.. she'd adjust...

_***sighs* Now we are finally getting everything into action. ^_^ Any guesses where this is heading? **____** Sorry for being so slow on updating… I'm slowly adjusting to some stuff so again my apologies. Reviews shall be treasured and always appreciated. No flames please…. I already have Hannah to deal with who was poking me insistently till I posted this. **_

_**~002fox**_


	22. Chapter 22 Pain and Panic

**Hey all! Sorry to be back so late with an update but still trying to juggle lots of stuff! I hope you all enjoy this update. Major interaction with Marak and Arisa and getting us moving along more!**

**Please let me know what you think!**

**-002fox**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx****Pain and Panic ****xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Recap: **

_Marak's POV: _

_Here she had a lover and a bestfriend/sister from what I had observed…I would be taking her future. But my people needed a queen and I needed a wife… Going over what I observed of her I knew she'd make a fine wife. I could only imagine what a son we'd have. _

_I just.. prayed.. she'd adjust... _

Arisa's POV: Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I felt a little uncomfortable with the silence so I decided to turn on some music. I randomly played the CD of the car praying Rex was listening to something halfway decent.

A smooth male voice flooded the speakers and a familiar song flooded the car.

_I'm holding on your rope,  
Got me ten feet off the ground  
I'm hearin what you say but I just can't make a sound  
You tell me that you need me  
Then you go and cut me down, but wait  
You tell me that you're sorry  
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say..._

I joined into the chorus and started to sing softly familiar with this band and happy that it happened to be one of my favorite songs,

_"It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late_

I'd take another chance, take a fall  
Take a shot for you  
And I need you like a heart needs a beat  
But it's nothin new  
I loved you with a fire red-  
Now it's turning blue, and you say...  
"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you  
But I'm afraid..." 

Marak started to shift uncomfortably in his seat and I realized then my singing had gotten louder with the music. I blushed and flipped the music off thoroughly embarrassed, "Oh gosh.. I'm sorry I didn't mean to sing that loud.. I must've hurt your ears…"

Marak turned to me, "N-No no.. You sounded wonderful.." Was it just me or did he sound like he was wincing.

I felt bad I mean…I wasn't a bad singer… Rex and Hannah enjoyed my singing but then again maybe they just had years of becoming immune to it?

I cringed still gripping the wheel harder. Nothing like hearing someone try to be polite and tell you to for the love of chocolate to shut my trap in a car ride, "I-It won't happen again…" I meekly promised pretty sure my face was redder then a tomato.

"….." Marak couldn't rebute that or wisely chose not to press the issue instead he seemed to tense once more and sit up a little more, "WAIT!"

I hit the brakes on instinct hearing that and the car surprised me by moving pretty well to accommodate the shift and only bobbing forward a moment.

"W-What is it? Did you see a squirrel or something?," I asked worriedly leaning forward slightly in the driver's seat, "I didn't hit it did I?"

Oh man I really hoped I didn't. Poor little critters got run over enough as it was. I hated seeing any poor creature hurt I always tried to help them when I could. Though …I wasn't exactly vegetarian not with the almost sinfully delicious meat dishes Hannah got me hooked on….

"No no nothing of that sort.. It's just this is my stop…" Marak carefully said unbuckling his seatbelt.

"O-Oh?" I half asked glancing around to see we were facing a wall? Well a slate looking wall almost. I realized with the music off and the quiet hum of the engine that there weren't many other sounds either…

It was too quiet almost omnious. A small shiver ran down my spine and my senses started to once more fidget uneasily. It was so strange riding with Marak…. The longer we were in the car the more uncomfortable I started getting but Marak was friendly right? I mean he wasn't going to hurt me.

I was starting to be more and more fidgety and something stirred in me that was unfamiliar. A soft whisper seemed to warn me to get moving to leave. But I didn't see why….

Marak slowly glanced at me as if suddenly sensing my uneasiness, "…"

My heart started to speed up and a rush of adrenaline started to stir in me. My grip on the wheel made my knuckles turn white. Why was I suddenly getting so panicked?

"Arisa…" he spoke my name and for some odd reason this time was different… The simple name suddenly sounded almost musical and caressed carefully.  
I blinked feeling a wave of tiredness suddenly cover me.

The rush of adrenaline waned but a small voice in my head whispered, 'Run..Run!'

I hadn't a clue where it wanted me to run…

"Arisa come with me…" Marak said carefully his deep voice once more caressing my simple name. I found myself listening intently to that voice it was very alluring….

I felt almost detatched out of my body as I unbuckled my own seatbelt and followed him. I tried to fight it but I found myself following Marak as dutifully as a trained tamed pet.

It scared me. What was his voice doing to me? Why was I following him? I tried to get my body to stop but it meekly followed him. He headed for the slate like wall we were parked close to. He was humming softly under his breath and continued to gently call my name whenever I managed to halt for a second. Carefully he led me towards the wall.

Oh fates… He was going to murder me… Or.. Or Rape me.. or.. Or.. I tried not to picture all the horrible things this formerly nice person could do but images of my past started suddenly hammering me making me falter in my steps. I couldn't go back to that.. I had barely escaped death once I didn't want to face it again.. Not if Hannah wasn't here to save me…

Oh no.. Hannah! Hannah had trusted me.. to do this and now.. now look where I was.. I made myself a quick promise there and then.. If I ever.. got out of this.. I was going to listen to Hannah's word like it was LAW.

Marak glanced back to me sharply as if realizing I'd managed to stop. I didn't know how but I daren't question how I managed to stop a little away from him. I was shaking.. And I felt a wet substance racing down my cheeks and I realized I had somehow started crying.

The foreboding feeling once more rushed me and I was only a few paces from smacking right into that slab of rock.

"N-No!" I squeaked surprised at how my voice sounded so weak, fragile, and high.

"No?" Marak echoed surprised and taking a cautious step towards me his hands rising a little but still at his side as if calming a frightened horse.

I stumbled back relieved I managed to get out his control. I was shaking more then a newborn and I once more tried to scramble back to the car. I glanced back for a moment with a dismal low moan seeing the car was suddenly gone. I was shocked at that then quickly looked back to Marak. Only Marak was no longer there.

Two strong arms wrapped around me suddenly pinning my hands to the side.

I cried out thrown into more panic by this and squirmed in the very strong hold.

"Arisa calm down," Marak ordered his voice gentle but firm.

I was thrown into a hysteric panic almost as the voice that had whispered to run practically roared now in my ear the same command. RUN! RUN! GET AWAY!

I closed my eyes sobbing more vocally now wondering what I had done to deserve this. Oh fates.. Oh fates.. I'm going to die.. I'm going to die.. The potential bleak future drummed the phrase over and over in my head and I kicked, squirmed, fought every possible way I could in this firm hold. I felt my body shake exhausting itself to get out of the strong iron like grasp. My breath came out in quick pants like a wounded animal.

"Let me go! Let me go, please!" I begged thrashing in the hold, "I-I don't want to die! Please! Please let me go!"

My frantic cries were unheeded and Marak moved forward with me carefully in his grasp towards the slab. Was he going to push me against the wall? Toy with me before killing me?

I begged, sobbed, whimpered, screamed frightened completely, and all in vain.

Marak almost cradled me in this strange hold and whispered apologies in my ear that I couldn't really make out in my fierce attempts to get away.

"Arisa.. Arisa.. Calm down.. I'm not going to kill you.. I'm sorry to frighten you but.. You'll understand soon.."

OH I understood perfectly.. That he wasn't the nice kind person I took him for before.. That Hannah had been right to be suspicious as Rex was… If I made it away from Marak I would never leave their side again.. Never ever!

I quieted suddenly realizing we were barely an arms length away from the wall, "P-Please…," I suddenly begged very softly now simply trembling in the caged hold, "P-Please… Please… Please don't…Please.. just.. just.. let me.. go.. leave me be…"

I begged as pitifully and as hard as I could finding my meager strength was no good against Marak's overwhelming strength.

"I'm sorry Arisa…" Marak said almost sighing, "I can't do that…Now.. you may want to close your eyes…The entry always confuses people.."

I didn't understand what he meant and there was no way I was closing my eyes. He suddenly took another step forward making me giving another weak cry my throat starting to hurt from my harsh vocal activity. How had no one heard me? How come no one had come…. The vague thoughts lingered but vanished abruptly as we went THROUGH the stone slab.

That shut me up. Stunned me into silence. The area we entered next was like a kaleidoscope of color and fragments and there suddenly seemed to be TOO many reflections and other presences in the room. I wanted to whimper to cry but I was feeling more and more hopeless.. almost resigned.

I was going to die in here.. in this strange.. place.. I went limp almost in his hold and he paused feeling the sudden shift in my weight. Another wave of panic assaulted me but I was too weak to manifest if physically.

"Arisa?" He asked concerned and slowly turning me cautiously to face him.

I looked to the side not really acknowledging hearing him.

I probably wasn't the first that this.. hunter.. had lured… here… I thought vaguely my breath still rather irregular and pant like.

Marak shook me slightly in his hold, "Arisa?" The concern in his voice made him almost seem human again.

I kept my gaze away from him feeling very helpless, "….Just…do it fast okay?"

"Pardon?" He offered unsure of what I was referring to. His gloved hands were distinct against my skin and the adrenaline rush spiked once more and my anxiety did to. My eyes were getting distracted trying to see all the shattered and refracting images at once and I started to feel dizzy….

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and whimpered, "Just promise me.. you'll kill me fast…"

There was a long silence following that and then he sighed.

"Arisa… I'm not going to kill you. I don't WANT to kill you…."

I refused to hope to.. buy into his words but I decided to play along, "..T-Then.. w-what are you going to do-?"

He sighed again almost one in frustration and pity if I didn't know better. He resumed half dragging me along in his strong hold, "… You'll see…"

**A rather quick update… Length wise.. ;; But as I said we're moving along now! Thanks to all you reviewers out there hearing from you seriously does motivate me So please keep reviewing. I also am interested to see where you guys think this is going ~ Or just other feedback and ideas. Please let me know what you think and no flames please Hannah has enough to last me for a good while… **

**Oh and just a sorta late (A/N) … In the last book if I recall correctly singing did bother Marak Catspaw.. Also in some other legends singing supposedly drives Goblins away. So just as a heads up to clear some future confusion or etc.. This is an idea I plan to incorporate… Thus explaining Marak's discomfort with her singing. **

**-002fox**


	23. Chapter 23 Invisible Car and Wonderland

**Hey all! Back with an update going to try to shift gears for this upcoming summer with more writing and updates hopefully! hope you all enjoy this update. **

**Please let me know what you think!**

**-002fox**

Xxxxxxxxxxxx **Invisible Cars and a trip to Wonderland**

**Hannah POV) It was faint very faint but even in the distance I could hear it. A very sharp distinct scream of panic that I knew was Arisa.. I gunned the motorcycle forward at very reckless pace for the terrain. I shouldn't have trusted her to go by herself! I blamed myself inwardly and prayed just prayed that he'd leave her be.. That we would catch "marak" before he got to a safe place or had time to scar my poor friend anymore. **

**What had I been thinking letting her go with him! Stupid this could cost me everything! Everyone important to me! **

"**Hannah-" Rex started his voice anxious and I could tell he had heard her too. **

" **I know," I snapped to him. I knew that I had just possibly made the second worse mistake in my life if not the greatest mistake. I once more pushed the bike to almost impossible limits rushing it forward. **

**Faster…Faster.. Faster… **

**The landscape around us became a blur of soft green foliage colors and the wind smacked into our faces if not for our helmets tearing at our vulnerable faces. Rex clung to the side motorcar for dear life and the ancient thing rattled like a person's frightened teeth. **

**I could tell Rex was getting very anxious. I could tell he was fairly close to jumping out of the sidecar and just running the rest of the way. **

**I pushed the bike more and more but it started to strain to stutter to fumble. **

**I growled and inhuman sound as my impatience fed upon the limited vehicle. I almost screamed in rage when it finally simple stopped completely. **

"**NO!" **

**Rex was out of the side car in the blink of an eye giving me only one look before disappearing running ahead at an impossible speed. I wrenched my helmet off and threw it angrily at the bike before going after him adrenaline pumping through my veins along with a fervent prayer. **

**Please.. Please.. Please don't take her from me… **

**Rex called from somewhere up ahead in confusion. I pushed through the foliage and forest that seemed to have grown over the path we'd been driving along unnaturally fast. A few leaves and sticks in my hair later I saw him standing infront of nothing with a confused look on his face. **

**I growled annoyed how could he stop for nothing! Didn't he care about Arisa?**

"**Rex quit clowning around!" I snapped at him stomping up to him and pulling out one of the sticks that had gotten into my hair. **

**He turned to me confused, "Hannah look at the ground." **

**I almost snapped another nasty remark at him but gave the ground a quick scanning glance surprised to see tire tracks leading right up to where Rex was standing, "What the-?" **

**Rex nodded apparently seeing where my thoughts were going, "It gets weirder…" He leant forward and if I didn't know any better I'd say he'd fall flat on his face but instead he fell and was held up by air?**

**I came a little closer very confused by these circumstances but even more distressed to not be able to feel Arisa's presence nearby… **

**Rex placed his hands in front of him describing quickly, "It feels like.. the rental.." **

**I gave him an annoyed glance**

**Rex let his hands wonder lower on the invisible strange object and traced something, "149DD" the license plate of the rental…" **

**I blinked, "Are you saying that you're leaning against your rental?" **

**He turned to me nodding leaning against it still. My mind had a hard time watching him lean against something invisible. Oy… **

"**So something or someone turned this invisible so-" I said trying to figure where this was heading. **

"**Someone was trying to cover their tracks.. Or rather," Rex hissed now his hands turning to fists at his side and his eyes turning to demonic slits as his anger got the better of him, "Marak tried to cover his tracks.." **

"**So where did he go," I pressured. **

"**I don't know!" Rex grounded out starting to pace and feel around the rental car then pausing to look at the slate like wall that was infront of the parked invis-car. " ….." **

"**Rex?" I cautiously asked coming to his side he was looking at the wall with intense concentration. I turned to glance at the stone as well not sure exactly what about it I found strange… **

**Rex started forward towards it, "I wonder… Could it be.." He mumbled stepping closer to it. I watched expecting any second for him to smack into it only he hesitated before taking a final step towards it that should've smashed his face in only he went… through it. **

**I made a small cry of shock hurrying over to the wall surprised at this turn. Just who exactly.. what exactly was Marak?**

**I quickly followed not letting myself ponder much further in that direction. I didn't care who marak was because as soon as I got my hands on he wouldn't exist much longer! Especially if he'd so much as –**

**Rex led the way careful in the strange twilight zone of kalideoscopes we entered, "Stay close," he cautioned me. **

**I simply hmphed in reply but kept at his heels, "What.. is this place?" **

"**Don't know.. Didn't see a sign on the way in," Rex muttered sarcastically as he continued to try to navigate us through the strange cave of wonders. **

**I started to feel Arisa's presence once more to my relief but it was so strange, so weak, I wasn't sure what that meant.**

"**Rex.. Hurry.." I urged almost stepping on his heels. **

"**Shh!" Rex suddenly hissed holding me back. He waited for a moment before cautiously motioning me forward slightly but to stay near him. **

**I made out two figures ahead of us in the distance it was hard to concentrate since the many reflections were still confusing me a little but it seemed the two were near the exit. A rather large wooden door lay before the two and one figure seemed to have a brief conversation before dragging the other figure who seemed strangely limp forward. **

"**ARISA!" I suddenly cried out trying to go forward only to have Rex grab my elbow and forcibly pull me back. **

"**Hannah wait!" He cautioned studying as the door fell behind with a sort of finality behind the two, "… You can't just rush in there.. What if Marak isn't the only one here? Don't you sense all that magic up ahead?" **

"**I don't care if he has a whole freaking army Rex we have to get Arisa back! She must be so scared…" I said frustrated at his hesitance. **

"**Hannah think for a second we could rush in there and get Arisa but what about a way out? Do you see that door..It was talking back to Marak.. IT must have magical properties probably built to keep trespassers out…" **

"**Then WHAT do we do sit here and wait till he comes back out and jump him?" I hissed. **

"**No.. Just.. Just give me a moment I'll think of something…" Rex said though he sounded stressed as well his eyes on the door. **

"**No more thinking!" I snapped before wrenching my arm away from him and striding forward. **

"**Hannah!" He hissed but started to come after me. I stomped up to the formidable tall omnious door. **

**I saw no handle which was very strange and confirming Rex's suspicion the door must be magical… **

"**Who are you?" A male voice asked suddenly curious. **

**I glanced around slightly alarmed, where on earth that voice was coming from. **

"…**Who are you?" the voice repeated and I realized it was coming from in front of me. **

**Oh no freaking way. A talking door? Really? Hadn't they already done that in Alice and Wonderland? **

"**It's not important who I am, " I said keeping my voice curt and angry, "what's more important is that if you plan to stay in one piece and not a small pile of ash I suggest you open up." **

**The door was silent stunned I guess by my blunt approach, "Why are you trying to get in?" **

"**I'm here to get my friend back now open up." I growled glaring at it. How was it talking if it had no mouth?**

**The door stayed still and shut tightly, "I can't let you in…." **

**I sighed cracking my knuckles, "I was fairly sure that'd be your answer… But you know I'm in a gracious mood," far from it, " so I'll give you one last chance… You can either open up and stay intact or you can stay shut and be ashes and splinters your choice~ Choose wisely." **

**The door was silent once more but it seemed to tremble a tiny bit. Maybe it was starting to pick up on my murderous mood.**

**I could feel Rex come up to my side and his eyes were still lethal slits and his aura was starting to come out of its dormant state. The power stirred my own from its sleepy state. **

**The door seemed to be studying us. **

**I growled rolling my head slightly to crack my neck and rolled my shoulders back, "Okay I gave you a chance…Back up Rex this area is about to get super hot." **

Arisa POV ) I felt super weak, tired, and resigned as Marak continued to drag me forward before he finally just paused and swept me up bridal style. I kept my gaze off him letting my head sorta loll to the side and simply stared at the scenery change we passed a garden that seemed to be made of jewels that was just a sad mockery of nature.

I sighed softly feeling myself fade a little my mind starting to already prepare itself for whatever was going to happen now.. I wondered.. would it be like.. how it was with Daddy? Would I simply detatch and watch it happen from outside my body? Or would I suffer through it.. Every blow, Every word, until my lungs finally gave and my heart stayed its course?

The only sound that was distinct was Marak's footsteps that seemed to pick up speed a little at my sudden nonresponsiveness. He'd tried to say a few more things to me as we'd approached that strange door that seemed to talk but I had ignored him.

If he wasn't going to kill me.. No doubt it'd be torture… That was fine.. I could survive torture.. I couldn't live but I could exist.. survive it…

He shifted me slightly in his arms and his voice his cursed velvet voice once more taunted my ears with their concern, "Arisa.. please.. don't ignore me..Listen we're almost there.. I can explain more when we're there…"

I didn't care I remained still like a rag doll giving up. I felt a horrible hopelessness descend upon me as the door had shut behind me and Marak its clang ringing with finality. There was no sky… only more slate like stone.. a cave.. a cave? But then.. the cave seemed to descend and we'd gone down a couple steps and I realized we were.. underground.

The panic that I felt in situations like that vanished with the numb feeling I swept over my body. I wouldn't care anymore.. I would simply numb myself.. prepare myself for the pain… Perhaps this man would finish what my father had started…

"Arisa…" Marak said once more attempting to get a response from me, "Arisa please don't do this… Listen I.. I know your scared.."

Scared? Scared was an emotion I had when I was little when I was scared of the dark without the stars.. When I feared even seeing a glass bottle full of alcohol… when I was frozen at the sight of….

I wasn't scared…

"…Maybe upset at me.. " he continued.

Upset? I was upset that I wouldn't see the daylight again dance under the stars… cuddle up with Rex… talk to late at night with Hannah… Yes I was upset all that would soon be gone… I was upset when I couldn't protect myself.. when I just had to lay in pain for days at a time waiting to heal. I was upset I had never gotten a half decent caring parent when I was little that could've saved me, loved me like I had to learn from Hannah and her family…

"….I promise," He almost sounded like he was pleading with me, "I promise it'll get better as soon as you understand…"

I didn't want to understand I wanted to go home…

"SIRE!" A sudden half hysteric voice cut into Marak's half murmured apologies and pleadings. Marak shifted me slightly in his arms but I remained impassive and disinterested.

A strange light green skinned silver haired distinguished clothed man with slightly pointed ear rushed up to us. I blinked almost wondering if I was starting to simply be stuck in some strange dream.

The way the creature.. er green skinned man was dressed reminded me very much of one of my favorite characters from Alice and Wonderland. A neat ensemble with a vest and tie all tucked into their proper positions and a silver watch clutched in the creature's hand could've made him the white rabbit's distant relative or die hard fan.

"SIRE! " The creature called again very stressed by its tone and er looks I'll safely assume it was male, "SIRE THE DOOR!"

"Calm down Heyzel," Marak instructed firmly seeing the distress and shifting me slightly once more in his grasp.

"BUT SIRE!" he paused taking deep swallows of air as if attempting indeed to calm himself, "THE DOOR! THE DOOR!"

"What about the door-?" Marak questioned surprised to see his trusted advisor in such a frazzled state, " Heyzel what is wrong-?"

"TWO! Two.. outsiders… have DESTORYED the door!"

"WHAT?" Marak half growled shocked by this news.

Two outsiders…..?

Hope began to spring in me and I think Marak could sense me perk up a little because he glanced down to me, "…."

M-Maybe.. just.. maybe.. I wouldn't have to survive.. Maybe Hannah would once more.. rescue me..

_**(A/N: I do not own Alice in Wonderland. I just thought it'd be fun to make a few references to the story…)**_

_**As always please review! I'd love to hear from you~ **_

_**No flames please as I said that's Hannah's thing.. ^^;**_

_**And we're moving along its going to get very interesting soon so please stay tuned **_

_**May the Creative force be with you!**_

_**-002fox**_


	24. Chapter 24 Time Crunch&Living Nightmare

_**Apologies on the near abandonment of this story. Life has happened ^^; I am determined to finish this story though as slow and painful as the update may be…. Please keep reviewing you guys are my inspiration. **_

_**-002fox**_

_**- - - - - - - - - Living Nightmare and Time crunch- **_

**Hannah)**

**I reduced the door to ashes without breaking a sweat. Or rather that's how it would've happened in my mind. In reality I was keeled over nearly panting after doing the job. **

**I felt Rex touch my shoulders, " Hannah… Breathe…" **

"**I … am… idiot…" I said breathing very carefully as I could I looked through my bangs at him. **

"**Take your time…" He said very softly patient where I was not. **

"**We don't have time…" I brushed off his hand on my shoulder and started forward once more going into a jog and half run. The area around me was a blur and for a moment there was a glittering of the jewel garden. **

**What kind of messed up place was this? Jewel gardens…. Kidnapping males… Ngh I didn't want to linger on it. **

**Rex easily kept pace beside me and as we traveled further along the winding corridors I felt wariness start to well over me. Where were the guards? **

**Rex voiced my question aloud, "Strange… The door can't have been their only defense…." **

"**Just what I was thinking…" **

"**Think they're regrouping right now..?" Rex said uneasy as I was. **

"**Maybe… or worse…!" I muttered to myself, "Let's keep moving…!" I used my demon powers to try to get a lock on Arisa's unique aura. I had noticed it ever since meeting her all those years back with her Father… **

**You can imagine my confusion and frustration when we suddenly came across what seemed to be a solid wall. **

"**W-What? This can't be right..!" Rex panicked feeling along the stone. **

**I looked impassively at the rock feeling her aura still behind the wall of rock. I clenched my fists. **

"**Rex…. You're going to need to help me this.." **

Arisa) x x xx x x xx x x xx x x xx x

He dragged me into another room. I started to slowly become more and more aware of my surroundings. Hannah and Rex were here. The two intruders they had to be them. They'd busted down the door. They were coming. They were coming! I concentrated on that even as Heyzel and Marak started to talk and usher me into this room.

It was bleak in every sense of the word, there was a stone couch and a table with a strange golden goblet it had almost a small part carved off the rim that I wasn't positive what purpose it served.

"Heyzel can you get everything else ready…. The sword everything..?" Marak said in a breathless rush.

"O-Of course.. B-But sire-"

"I know it's rushed but to be honest we don't have time as it is….! I already half prepared for this anyway.."

"Alright Marak…. Then let it be as you say…" Heyzel said before hurrying off touching another stone wall that slid away and let him slip away. I watched him leave once more reminded of the white rabbit fleeing.

Marak still cradled my in his arms but he slowly put me down onto the stone couch.

"Arisa… Look I know your scared, upset, and confused right now and with those two on their way I don't have time to explain." He kneeled infront of me clasping my hands and I felt a lump in my throat I tried to swallow.

"I just… want to go home, " I said begging softly once more, "Marak I don't understand why you're doing this to me.. I-I helped you… W-why would you drag me down here…? Why are you trying to keep my away from my family..?" I needed to stall. I needed to give Hannah time.

"Arisa…I want you in my own family." He clasped my hands protectively rubbing them softly, "I know this seems very sudden but… I want you to become my wife."

Woah woah woah. Slow down!

I took a sharp breath at that staring timidly at his frightening features one more as he took down his hood. I stared at the strange cute fox ears and then the pale skin he had and the dark red scars along his cheek bones.

Become his wife? Only in my nightmares. I didn't want to live underground and this man had done nothing to win my confidence over with his actions.

"I-I don't want to become your wife.. L-Let me go please!" I said after a rather pained pause on my part almost wincing again at the asymmetry he seemed to show from the slant of the scars to the mismatched eyes.

"I'm afraid… your choice in this matter isn't necessary," He muttered before carefully pulling me to my feet.

"I hope one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me." He said simply as he pulled me dragging me over to the goblet, "Take a sip of this please."

When I heard please I wanted to laugh but I was getting more and more scared from what was happening I didn't even dare make another sound. I shook my head biting my lip.

"Arisa… Don't make me force you… Do you see the whistle like rim..? If you don't drink it by choice I can grab your hair and stick this between your teeth and force you to drink it… It's quite easy but I'd rather not have to get violent with you."

Again the instinct to laugh started to kick in and tears started to blur my eyes. I bit my lip till I was sure I was drawing blood.

"Arisa…."

THUMP THUMP THUMP! Someone was banging against…. The wall?

Marak muttered something crossly under his breath and without warning grabbed my chesnut hair. I could feel his hand wind around it getting a good grip and yanked my head back.

I wanted to cry out in pain from this and indignation but I remembered the whistle rim and did my best to keep my mouth shut. He gave my hair another not too gentle pull his eyes showing desperation and determination a very strange twist.

My lip surely was bleeding. It had to be. He still gripped at my hair pulling on it and I finally whimpered parting my lips only for a moment and the whistle rim was shoved in.

A strange bitter liquid that felt almost as thick as syrup fell onto my tongue. The whistle rim was removed and he let go of my hair.

I coughed spitting it out as best I could but the strange numbing bitter taste lingered on my tongue.

"A-Aaaaaaah! " I opened and shut my mouth intending to yell at him but all that came out was a long wail it seemed.

"The liquid takes away your words…" He said explaining what I was discovering.

"Aaaaaah ah!" I said not able to word what I wanted. A big fat Duh.

The thumping against the wall was getting louder.

He grabbed my right wrist and hauled me towards the far wall where Heyzel had disappeared to before.

He muttered a foreign word once more and did a gesture, almost the "These are not the droids your look for gesture" . The wall shuddered and parted opening to another room this room however was occupied with more beings.

The beings were horrible! They were all sorts of shapes and sizes. They all wore very strange but formal gowns dresses that wound around their own abnormalities. There was a woman with pale silver skin and scales along her neck wearing a deep v-neck crimson gown that hugged her body.

There was a woman that almost would've passed as human if not for her strange snake like unblinking eyes.

I let out a wail seeing more and more frightening creatures in this room all dressed as humans posing and pretending.

They all looked to me muttering in their strange language and surging forward.

"Get her ready, as fast as you can." He said simply in English after speaking for a few moments to them in another foreign stream.

Their hands grabbed at me and pulled me forward. I screamed shrilly closing my eyes not wanting to see the end.


	25. Chapter 25 Red and Gray

**Chapter 25: Red and Gray**

**x-x-x-x-x-X CHAPTER 25-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- - **

**Hannah) **

**I grunted once more throwing hot flames onto the stone in an effort to melt through. I could hear Rex also reaching his limit as he went forward with blades of hardened ice to chip away at the molted rock as soon as I backed off. **

"**N-No good… S-sorry Rex..I-I've got nothing left.." I said hating the words as they passed my lips. I could not quit… I couldn't leave Arisa in the hands of these..creatures… Fates knew what they were going to do? **

**Rex shook his head, "Don't say that Hannah. You've never quit before.. Why the heck are you going to start now!" **

**Because I had thrown a lot of energy to busting down the door, because I was kidnapped and thrown out of an SUV earlier, and most of all the exhaustion had caught up to me. **

**I fell to my knees my legs buckling under me. **

**So close. I had come all this way only to…. **

**Rex let out a frightening growl his own demon like attributes coming out full force he swept forward with a burst of energy and finally got through the former immovable wall. **

**The wall gave way to an empty room…With a stone sofa and a single strange cup half full of dark liquid.**

**I crawled forward getting to the wall's remains to pull myself up, "… W-Where is she?" The unique aura that I had felt coming from the room was growing cold and my demon powers seemed to wane after all my work to get this far. I closed my eyes feeling my head hurt. **

**Rex swept forward , his own breathing labored. **

**For a long moment there was a slice of silence then a hiss, " Up … Up ahead… Another wall of stone… I-I think I …smell her up ahead.." Rex said his low voice wavering in anger and a bit of his own fatigue. **

"**We can't break through another wall, Rex…. T-That one was hard enough.. I-I have nothing left… Nothing at all…" I leant against the wall hard panting and slowly opening my eyes to the sight of the gray wall ahead of me. **

**Gray. The color of indifference, steel, stone, all things cold and unfeeling. **

**Red. The color I was starting to see when I thought of how cruel a being could be to take my poor defenseless friend and drag her down to this strange kingdom. **

**Red, also the color of the blood I was sure to spill tonight of anyone that got in our way- **

**I slid down once more panting. I had overdone it. All my anger couldn't boost my body's ability to deal with this scenario. **

"**Hannah!" Rex cried out surprised to see me slide towards the floor he pulled me up and my eyes fluttered a little before focusing on his face. The pale skin, those dark blue eyes brought out even more by his dark hair all reminded me that I wasn't alone in this… that we both needed Arisa back. **

"**T-Think you can get through that wall alone, Rex?" I asked as he guided me to the stone couch and made me sit. **

"…**. Maybe…" He said after a moment and another glance to the wall. **

"**Yes or no, Rex. Arisa doesn't have time for maybes…." I snapped. **

"**Then yes…. Yes! I can get through this wall!" Rex avowed more steadily. He rolled back his shoulders heading forward conjuring more water and strengthening them to thick ice blades, he struck the wall and at first the stone happily remained unscratched and unaffected. But then… Rex got angrier. **

**I think he finally heard the quiet unspoken ticking of a clock to…what? To some event… that we wouldn't be able to reverse? To Arisa's death? I wasn't sure…. But… I didn't want to find out. I closed my eyes caught my breath even as Rex started punching the heck out of the wall with his demon strength. **

**Faint noises caught my attention as I closed my eyes and tried to gather my strength. Whisperings. Soft whispering in a language I could not understand. **

**The whisperings quieted even as Rex kept pounding at the wall. **

Arisa's pov)

Today was getting worse and worse. I couldn't speak because of that potion and all the strange woman around me were..were.. well…

VERY INVASIVE! I had never been so humiliated in my life… T-They took my clothes and put me into a tub of water and then scrubbed at me like I was a dirty pan. Then they toweled me up rubbed me down and started buffing me with powder and a strange smelling oil.

Whenever I tried to squirm or escape from them they quite firm in pulling me back. I whimpered, cried and begged for them to stop to no avail. No sympathy was paid to me. More or less I was simply a package to be cleaned, and prepped and thrown out once more like fast food.

They made me sit down while the leader of the group went and took a strange well of ink and a paint brush to my arm. The leader in question was a slim willowy woman with long strange dark blue hair and silver eyes. She had long polished nails and wings on her back of a sooty black, she patiently painted symbol upon symbol along my arm starting from the top of my shoulder down to the crease of my elbow. As she did each symbol she paused and looked to the symbols which shuddered and glowed then vanished. The other females around all chatted excitedly at this and the leader held up a hand and issued what must've been a command to a group of them which scurried off leaving me alone with her and her paintbrush.

"…..You're quite lucky…" the winged woman spoke this time in perfect English, "I know you must be scared right now but you're going to be in good hands…"

I was quiet at that letting her attend to her work knowing it did no good to try to halt her. All the people here were monsters and delusional it'd be best to just.. ignore them for now.

I tried to not focus on how the brush tickled a little along my arm and glanced dully to the dark symbols that vanished along my arms.

"Marak is a kind person… I'm sure he's feeling quite guilty to have to rush into this but… well he's doing it not for himself you know.. but for the people… "

People? Is that what she called herself and the other creatures.

She put down the brush and slowly stood gathering the inkwell with her.

"…I suppose you'll see in time… The others before you were the same. " She gave a slight nod believing firmly in her words, "You'll come to realize this is what's best for everyone. "

Everyone? What about me? What about what was best for me? What about freedom? Hannah and Rex! Home. The stars? The beauty of the moon?

The females returned with what might've been the most strange garment I'd ever seen in my life. It was a gold bodice with strange wisp like material sweeping down to a skirt of a paler gold shade. There were no sleeves and that immediately made me uncomfortable.

I had never really liked tube tops… They showed the old scars my father had left on me. Even tank tops were something I struggled with. I liked having sleeves when I could.

Even now with the long towel they had given me I still felt uncomfortably exposed feeling the air touch my bare skin.

The group came towards me and bullied me into the strange outfit, others attacked my hair combing out the chestnut mane and weaving red ribbons into it and pulling it back leaving only a single curled strand close to my face.

When I tried to bring it to their attention feeling it tickle a little against my collar bone they simple shook their heads and pulled my hand away from it. After a few more adjustments they finally pulled away.

The leading winged woman came forward and fastened cold golden shackles on my feet and then on my wrists, "Marak is waiting for you just beyond those doors, " she gestured to two strong wood doors I hadn't seen before along with two guards waiting with poles.

"The poles will latch onto your shackles, it's just a precaution we take for everyone." She said taking my hand and pulling me to my feet then letting go of my hand, "Go. They're waiting-"

Suddenly the wall behind us shuttered and gave way.

"ARISA!" A familiar voice, a familiar face, but this time so …so different. The dark hair that was choppy and one I'd run my hands through multiple times was now standing up like he'd been shocked. Those dark blue eyes I'd get lost in were narrowed and almost glowing? His hands were also glowing with some strange light blue outline. He looked angry and I wanted to cry out his name but all I could manage was another small wail.

Rex!

A figure slowly appeared beside him tired and soot streaked with her own impressive dark blue eyes though hers were thankfully normal and not glowing strangely, "A-Arisa are you alright?"

Hannah!

The creatures in the room squeaked and growled at the sudden intruders. The winged woman at my side muttered something crossly under her breath and pushed me towards the guards and took a step towards my boyfriend.

She turned to the other girls present, "Get her to the ceremony now. I'll deal with these intruders."

She opened her wings and opened her hands toward them and started chanting what must've been a spell or sorts.

Either I was having the strangest dream in the history of dreams or my reality now bordered on the twilight zone.

I didn't get to see what Rex and Hannah did to scramble against the spell wielding winged girl I was pushed forward and latched onto the poles and dragged forward. Into a large cavernous room that reminds me of a roman coliseum.

More of them. More and more of the strangely shaped creatures were in what seemed to be stands. All clustered together they made me feel faint at the cruel misshapen sight of them. I felt myself trying to shy away, try to drag my feet but the guards pulled me forward to the only creature I knew in this room, to the fox eared scar faced Marak.

**Hannah) **

**Ever have those days when you do all you can and you still run into something that just ruins it. Like you plan out a picnic and rain rolls in? Well that all pales in comparison to finally finding my sister/closest friend only to have a winged freak of a species standing in my way just as we found her. **

**A stronger fire demon might've roasted her alive, no more questions asked. **

**I tried to summon fire but all I got was sparks and smoke. "No good, " I muttered to Rex, "I-I'm still not recharged…." **

**Rex sighed shaking his head, "I-I don't know if I can keep up with-" **

**A flash of lightning cracked towards us and we both scrambled to avoid it. I hit the ground rolling to my right. He scrambled to the left. **

**I tried once more to summon some fire but once more smoke only answered my call. I growled to myself, smoke wouldn't do us any good in a fight! **

**Suddenly it clicked. Yes… Smoke wouldn't help us… in a fight… but it would help us.. get away from one!**

**Rex conjured some water and shot it at the woman who stumbled back caught off guard by the attack. **

**Before she could get back on her feet I turned to Rex, "Rex! Ninja style!" **

"**Ninja what-!" He said confused at my words. **

**I opened the palm of my hand once more conjuring the black soot like smoke took a deep breath and blew. **

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

_**And finally an update *anime fall* . I am thankful to those of you who have reviewed honestly it amazes me that people have not given up on this, and just to let you know I haven't given up either! Just been having lots of writer blocks and schedule issues. **_

_**Here's to hopefully another update soon with a bit of action with the groups confronting each other. I plan to have the Elvin king make another entrance here soon but still figuring that out… **_

_**Thanks for reviews and please keep them coming!**_

_**~002fox**_

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_


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